Fitly, Inc., healthcare IT company, announces the new member of its team, six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, as Co-Founder and Head of Wellness. Joyner-Kersee will focus specifically on the growth and development of SmartPlate.

“If I had this technology when I was competing it would have made my life a whole lot easier than the manual journaling we had to use.  With this level of precision,  I believe SmartPlate would have helped me win more gold medals and achieved my goals a lot faster,” said Joyner-Kersee. “This is a product that I believe will change lives. That’s why I got involved.”

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

The SmartPlate is a product that the company launched on Kickstarter, Inc. earlier this year and was successfully funded, reaching more than $110,000 in pledges. The SmartPlate uses a proprietary patented food recognition technology and weight sensors to identify and weigh everything placed on it from single foods to prepared meals such as pizza, vegetable fried rice and even a garden salad. The nutritional information obtained by SmartPlate is then transferred to a mobile app that logs all of the user’s meals autonomously, taking out the daunting task of manually inputing food information into a mobile app.

SmartPlate boasts of 99 percent accuracy and measures just 10 inches in diameter, smaller than the common 12-inch dinner plates which aids in portion control. Using the smart plate is as simple taking a photo of your meal. The app will then analyze the different components of your meal, including calories, carbs, sugar, sodium and protein, and save that information so you can review it whenever you want.

The SmartPlate also comes with a microwave-safe lid, and the plate itself is refrigerator safe and water resistant. The app also gives users access to over 200 recipes and personalized meal plans that cater to a variety of dietary needs so you can keep eating healthy without all the hassle.

Fitly CEO Anthony Ortiz welcomes Joyner-Kersee to the company, proud that Joyner-Kersee understands the value of SmartPlate and how it can affect everyday people, including those dealing with illnesses that require nutrition monitoring, and even athletes like her.

“We are excited to have her with us as a founding member of SmartPlate,” Ortiz concluded.

Image source: SiliconANGLE screenshot, SmartPlate