Designing for Dignity: nymble Wins IFA Innovation Prize for supporting obesity care in older adults
If obesity is rising faster among older adults than any other demographic, why do we know so little about treatment in this population? Even with what we know - that weight loss does not automatically translate to improved health, particularly in older adults, and that preserving lean muscle mass is far more important than simply maximizing pounds lost - there remain few, if any, tools designed to address these challenges or adequately support this population.
In clinic, I see this gap every day. The digital tools that exist require app downloads, new interfaces, and complex logins; these are barriers for people who are not native users of such tools. Older adults living with obesity are navigating multiple medications, lower energy, mobility limitations, and decades of stigma. They often need the most support and encounter the highest barriers to accessing it.
That is why we are proud to share that nymble has been named a winner of the International Federation on Ageing’s Innovating for Impact challenge, a global initiative focused on advancing solutions for obesity in older adults and promoting healthy ageing.
This recognition matters because it affirms something we have believed from the beginning: we built access as the foundation, not a feature.
Why Obesity in Older Adults Is Different
The International Federation on Ageing, founded in 1973 and working across nearly 80 countries, operates at the intersection of ageing policy, rights, and innovation. Their challenge focused specifically on obesity in later life, an issue that remains under-addressed in both clinical and public health frameworks.
Obesity in older adults is not simply about body weight. It is about strength, balance, independence, and quality of life. Excess weight in later years can accelerate muscle loss, increase frailty, affect memory and concentration, and raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. The goal is not just weight reduction. It is preserving muscle, protecting mobility, supporting cognition, and maintaining dignity. Prescribing treatment in the absence of the right coaching and support can be particularly dangerous in this population, or worse yet, not offering treatment at all.
Yet older adults remain underrepresented in clinical trials and digital health innovation. Many tools are not built with their realities in mind. We do not know what we do not know. We need to build supportive tools that not only meet people where they are, but also gather data, inform us about what we may be missing, and help ensure our treatments offer the greatest benefit over risk.
Why Messaging Matters
The data tells a simple story. Text messaging and messaging platforms like WhatsApp are widely used among older adults. In North America, more than 80 percent of adults over 65 use mobile phones, and the majority report regular use of text messaging. WhatsApp adoption among adults over 60 has grown rapidly across Europe and globally, becoming one of the most commonly used communication platforms in that age group. SMS open rates consistently exceed 90 percent, far higher than email or app-based notifications.
Texting has been described in the literature as one of the most accessible technologies across age groups because it does not require learning a new system. It is already part of daily life. It can be multilingual. The font size can be personalized to individual needs. Messages can be read aloud and voice dictated.
And yet today, most digital interventions still require an app download, account creation, and password management, leading to low uptake, engagement, and ultimately limited utility.
For someone managing lower digital confidence, reduced dexterity, or cognitive fatigue, these are not minor inconveniences. They are barriers to care.
nymble chose SMS and WhatsApp not because they were trendy, but because they are familiar. No downloads. No new interface. Just a conversation delivered through a channel people already use and trust.
Introducing nymbleSilver
Through the IFA initiative, we are launching nymbleSilver, a clinician-designed behavioural and medical therapy support program delivered entirely through text and WhatsApp for older adults living with obesity.
nymbleSilver is specifically designed in its content, tone, pacing, and delivery to meet the needs of older adults. That means clear language. Respectful reframing. Practical guidance that considers mobility, strength, nutrition, medication management, and the impact of stigma and bias. It also means reaching people through channels they already use rather than asking them to adapt to new technology.
The program focuses on outcomes that matter in later life:
Preserving muscle and reducing frailty
Supporting mobility and independence
Improving quality of life and cognitive resilience
Enhancing medication adherence and nutrition
Addressing stigma related to both obesity and ageing
The pilot will engage 150 to 200 adults aged 60 and above across clinics in Canada and Ireland. Multilingual capacity is built in, recognizing that accessibility includes language and cultural context.
As a clinician and researcher, I am particularly excited about the data dimension. Anonymized conversational insights will help us better understand how older adults experience obesity treatment in the real world: what motivates them, where they struggle, and how adherence patterns evolve over time. This type of real-world evidence is urgently needed.
Accessibility Is Our Core Commitment
The IFA award is not a change in direction for nymble. It is a reflection of our core mission.
From the beginning, nymble has been built as infrastructure for accessible behavioural and clinical support delivered through everyday messaging. We already support thousands of patients across multiple countries, and our mission has always been to reach those who are often overlooked by mainstream digital health.
As Dr. Puneet Seth, co-founder and CEO of nymble, puts it:
“Access to high quality healthcare information is becoming a commodity, but trust and reach remain a challenge for many people. At the heart of our mission is ensuring we make these as accessible as possible for everyone who needs it.”
Older adults living with obesity sit squarely at the intersection of need and under-service. Recognition from the International Federation on Ageing reinforces that compassionate design, grounded in clinical evidence and delivered through accessible technology, is essential to healthy ageing.
The future of digital health will not be defined only by sophistication. It will be defined by who it reaches.
Sometimes, the most powerful intervention is a thoughtful message, delivered at the right moment, in the right language, through a channel someone already trusts.
That has always been the heart of nymble.
