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INNOVATOR
AI Nutritionist Mini-App
I first coded the AI Nutritionist WeChat mini-app to help family and roomates make sense of their diets, teaching myself machine learning and applying it to daily health. What began as a personal experiment soon revealed a larger gap: in China, there are on average only 0.7 licensed dietitians per 100,000 people, compared with 25–30 in the United States, 39.3 in Japan, and 20–25 in Australia. Specialized support for adolescents is even scarcer. This shortage means that millions of young people lack access to professional guidance, and it made me realize the potential of technology to fill that void.
The project soon grew beyond my circle: through a user referral, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation invited me to pilot it at Ji County Primary School in Tianjin, over one semester, 11,600 meals have been logged and received personalized tips, like iron-rich millet porridge for anemia, while teachers and parents used weekly dashboards to track progress. Encouraged by the results, the Foundation expanded adoption to four additional schools across Sichuan and Yunnan, and today the mini-app has reached over 3,400 users.
Back on my own campus, I deployed a tailored-made version through PaoNutrio (founder) and the Food Committee (president). The school version covers about 500 students, helping them choose cafeteria dishes that best met their needs, e.g., post-workout protein or more vegetables for balance, so guidance becomes a daily decision at the lunch line. Separately, I also ran health campaigns at Tea Bar to complement this effort, with different themes delivered including Hidden Sugar, Veggie Lab, and Sleep & Nutrition. Technology is not just a logbook, but a tool that helps students understand nutrition and internalize healthier habits in their daily choices.
For me, innovation begins with curiosity and self-learning, but it only matters when people use it, when code becomes a bridge between technology and human needs. To me, the true value of innovation lies in using technology for good: turning ideas into tools that serve communities, improve equity, and create change that lasts.
See how the AI Nutritionist WeChat mini-app helps students turn data into healthier daily choices
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