Ill health from sedentary lifestyles and poor diets is a rising concern. Ylva Trolle Lagerros, a new professor at Karolinska Institutet, is developing apps to encourage healthier choices in our daily lives. She’ll be featured in this year’s installation ceremony at Aula Medica on October 9.
Research Focus
Ylva’s research centers on lifestyle habits, especially diet and exercise, and their impact on health. She aims to find ways to help people make better choices. Digital tools, like apps and AI, can provide personalized feedback and advice. She believes these solutions can be really effective when integrated into healthcare, especially for preventive care.
Key Discoveries
Ylva has explored various lifestyle habits—diet, exercise, sleep, and their connections to both physical and mental health. She notes that lifestyle choices significantly affect future health. Surprisingly, digital solutions have shown effectiveness across various groups, even those previously thought resistant to change.
Future Directions
Looking ahead, Ylva plans to enhance digital tools that assist people in adopting healthier habits. Technology can help expand outreach and support while easing the pressure on healthcare systems. Yet, she emphasizes that promoting healthy lifestyles goes beyond individual efforts—it requires a collective approach involving society, healthcare providers, and policymakers.
Health experts agree with this perspective. A 2022 study showed that community programs designed to engage individuals in healthy behaviors can reduce obesity rates by up to 30%. This reinforces the idea that healthy living isn’t solely an individual responsibility; it’s a shared societal challenge.
About Ylva Trolle Lagerros
Ylva Trolle Lagerros is a Professor of Cardiovascular Prevention at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge. She has an impressive academic background, including a medical degree from Uppsala University and a Master’s in public health from Harvard. She earned her PhD at Karolinska Institutet and has received recognition for her work in digital health solutions, including a spot on the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences’ list of key contributors to digitization.
Through her research and efforts, Ylva Trolle Lagerros is committed to guiding us toward healthier lives. For more about her work, check out her profile here.