CSIRO has found that using meal plans can lead to greater weight loss. The research involved nearly 78,000 members of the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet program. Members who followed meal plans most closely lost an average of 6.4 kilograms in 12 weeks, 24 per cent more than those who used them less. Early use of meal plans led to 6.9 kilograms lost after a year, 48 per cent more than members who used them the least.
A survey of 1,300 past and current members revealed that 90 per cent of those who reached their weight loss goals used a meal plan. Among members who lost more than 10 kilograms in 12 weeks, 89 per cent said meal plans were crucial. Members who did not lose weight reported that 72 per cent would have benefited from personalised meal plans.
Dr Gilly Hendrie, CSIRO Research Scientist, said meal planning provides clear guidance on what to eat and helps build habits that support long-term weight loss. She added that personalisation can make a significant difference for individual needs and lifestyles.
In response, CSIRO launched My Plan, an AI-powered personalised meal planning tool. The tool creates meal plans tailored to each member’s preferences, allergies, intolerances, health conditions, and life stages. It adapts over time, becoming more personalised as it learns from usage.
Dr Hendrie said the AI uses 23 million data points from more than a decade of program use to generate personalised recommendations. Dietitian Nicole Pritchard said the tool is designed for Australians, following local dietary guidelines and integrated with the Total Wellbeing Diet framework.
The AI tool aims to make meal planning easier, safer, and more effective for people seeking to achieve their weight loss goals.