Providing consumers with incentives for healthy eating habits

Abstract

A method, system, and program for providing consumer healthy habits incentives are provided. A consumable item, consumed by an individual, is detected. A health factor is detected for the consumable item. An electronic incentive is selected for the individual according to the health factor, such that the individual is encouraged to consume a healthy selection of consumable items. An electronic incentive may be further specified according to the personal health history, exercise history and consumption history of an individual.

1 - 33 . (canceled)  
   
   
       34 . A method for specifying electronic incentives for at least one consumable item from among a plurality of consumable items for a particular individual from among a plurality of individuals, comprising: 
 responsive to receiving a request to determine whether an electronic incentive is available for a particular consumable item for the particular individual, accessing at least one health index value assigned to at least one health factor for the particular consumable item from a database of a plurality of consumable items each assigned at least one separate health index value for at least one health factor;    comparing the health index value assigned to the at least one health factor with an incentive standard specified for the health of the particular individual, wherein a separate incentive standard for each of the plurality of individuals specifies for the health of each of said plurality of individuals whether the health index value for the at least one health factor triggers the electronic incentive and the amount of the electronic incentive; and    responsive to the health index value triggering the electronic incentive for the particular individual when compared with the incentive standard, transferring an indicator of the specified amount of the electronic incentive to a requesting system.    
   
   
       35 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 responsive to the requesting system detecting the particular individual purchase the particular consumable item, applying the specified amount of the electronic incentive to reduce a purchase price of the particular consumable item by the specified amount.    
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein transferring an indicator of the specified amount of the electronic incentive further comprises: 
 transferring the specified amount of the electronic incentive to an accounting system for controlling distribution of employment pay to the particular individual, wherein the specified amount of the electronic incentive supplements a specified amount of employment pay for the particular individual.    
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 monitoring exercise performed by the particular individual by a personal monitoring system enabled to detect health attributes monitored during exercise and enabled to receive transmissions from at least one exercise machine indicating an intensity of the exercise; and    adjusting at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the monitored exercise performed by the particular individual.    
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 detecting at least one consumable item ordered by the particular individual at a restaurant by a personal monitoring system enabled to detect orders by the particular individual at the restaurant; and    adjusting at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the monitored order by the particular individual.    
   
   
       39 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 specifying at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the time of day during which the request for the electronic incentive is received.    
   
   
       40 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 specifying at least one threshold value for at least one health factor wherein exceeding the threshold value triggers the electronic incentive with a negative amount for the particular individual.    
   
   
       41 . A system for specifying electronic incentives for at least one consumable item from among a plurality of consumable items for a particular individual from among a plurality of individuals, comprising: 
 a consumable item health index server communicatively connected to a network for receiving a request to determine whether an electronic incentive is available for a particular consumable item for the particular individual from a particular requesting system from among a plurality of requesting systems communicatively connected to the consumable item health index server via the network;    the consumable item health index server for accessing at least one health index value assigned to at least one health factor for the particular consumable item from a database of a plurality of consumable items each assigned at least one separate health index value for at least one health factor;    the consumable item health index server for comparing the health index value assigned to the at least one health factor with an incentive standard specified for the health of the particular individual, wherein a separate incentive standard for each of the plurality of individuals specifies for the health of each of said plurality of individuals whether the health index value for the at least one health factor triggers the electronic incentive and the amount of the electronic incentive; and    the consumable item health index server for transferring an indicator of the specified amount of the electronic incentive to the requesting system, responsive to the health index value triggering the electronic incentive for the particular individual when compared with the incentive standard.    
   
   
       42 . The system according to  claim 41 , the particular requesting system further comprising means for applying the specified amount of the electronic incentive to reduce a purchase price of the particular consumable item by the specified amount, responsive to detecting the particular individual purchase the particular consumable item.  
   
   
       43 . The system according to  claim 41 , the consumable health index server for transferring the specified amount of the electronic incentive to an accounting system for controlling distribution of employment pay to the particular individual, wherein the specified amount of the electronic incentive supplements a specified amount of employment pay for the particular individual.  
   
   
       44 . The system according to  claim 41 , the consumable health index server further comprising: 
 means for receiving indicators of exercise performed by the particular individual via the network from a personal monitoring system enabled to detect health attributes monitored during exercise and enabled to receive transmissions from at least one exercise machine indicating an intensity of the exercise; and    means for adjusting at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the monitored exercise performed by the particular individual.    
   
   
       45 . The system according to  claim 41 , the consumable health index server further comprising: 
 means for receiving indicators of at least one consumable item ordered by the particular individual at a restaurant via the network from a personal monitoring system enabled to detect orders by the particular individual at the restaurant; and    means for adjusting at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the monitored order by the particular individual.    
   
   
       46 . The system according to  claim 41 , the consumable health index server for specifying at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the time of day during which the request for the electronic incentive is received.  
   
   
       47 . The system according to  claim 41 , the consumable health index server for specifying at least one threshold value for at least one health factor wherein exceeding the threshold value triggers the electronic incentive with a negative amount for the particular individual.  
   
   
       48 . A program product comprising a storage-type computer-usable medium including a computer-readable program for specifying electronic incentives for at least one consumable item from among a plurality of consumable items for a particular individual from among a plurality of individuals, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to: 
 access at least one health index value assigned to at least one health factor for the particular consumable item from a database of a plurality of consumable items each assigned at least one separate health index value for at least one health factor, responsive to receiving a request to determine whether an electronic incentive is available for a particular consumable item for the particular individual;    compare the health index value assigned to the at least one health factor with an incentive standard specified for the health of the particular individual, wherein a separate incentive standard for each of the plurality of individuals specifies for the health of each of said plurality of individuals whether the health index value for the at least one health factor triggers the electronic incentive and the amount of the electronic incentive; and    transfer an indicator of the specified amount of the electronic incentive to a requesting system.    
   
   
       49 . The program product according to  claim 48 , wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to: 
 transfer the specified amount of the electronic incentive to an accounting system for controlling distribution of employment pay to the particular individual, wherein the specified amount of the electronic incentive supplements a specified amount of employment pay for the particular individual.    
   
   
       50 . The program product according to  claim 48 , wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to: 
 monitor exercise performed by the particular individual by a personal monitoring system enabled to detect health attributes monitored during exercise and enabled to receive transmissions from at least one exercise machine indicating an intensity of the exercise; and    adjust at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the monitored exercise performed by the particular individual.    
   
   
       51 . The program product according to  claim 48 , wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to: 
 detect at least one consumable item ordered by the particular individual at a restaurant by a personal monitoring system enabled to detect orders by the particular individual at the restaurant; and    adjust at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the monitored order by the particular individual.    
   
   
       52 . The program product according to  claim 48 , wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to: 
 specify at least one value of the incentive standard for the particular individual based on the time of day during which the request for the electronic incentive is received.    
   
   
       53 . The program product according to  claim 48 , wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to: 
 specify at least one threshold value for at least one health factor wherein exceeding the threshold value triggers the electronic incentive with a negative amount for the particular individual.