Nutu's AI Coach Gets CDC Nod in Diabetes Prevention Fight

IRVINE, CA – January 14, 2026 – Willow Laboratories, a health-innovation firm known for its advanced medical-monitoring technology, today launched a major upgrade to its Nutu digital health app. The next-generation platform aims to reshape the approach to weight management and diabetes prevention by combining sophisticated artificial intelligence with the rigorous, evidence-based standards of the CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).

Available today in the Apple App Store and Google Play, the revamped Nutu app introduces a suite of intelligent features designed to guide users toward sustainable lifestyle changes. The company's move signals a deeper push into the burgeoning digital therapeutics market, leveraging its clinical expertise to tackle the growing public health crisis of chronic metabolic disease.

"At Willow, our mission is to help people live longer, healthier lives — and to do it with ease," said Joe Kiani, founder and Executive Chairman of Willow Laboratories. He emphasized that the new Nutu is designed to help both individuals and larger populations served by employers and health systems. "Research from the CDC and sources like The Lancet prove that crash diets and quick fixes don't work. Nutu gives people a practical, empathetic, and evidence-based roadmap to improve their health."

Beyond the Scale: A Smarter, Science-Backed Approach

At the core of the new Nutu experience is an enhanced proprietary algorithm called the "Nutu Score." This single, dynamic score moves beyond simple calorie counting to provide a holistic daily assessment of a user's health choices. The engine integrates a user's basal metabolic rate with the quality of their food, macronutrient balance, sleep patterns, and physical activity. The score refreshes daily, offering immediate feedback that helps users understand the direct impact of their decisions without the long-term pressure and guilt often associated with traditional dieting.

"We are incredibly proud of what we have designed with Nutu," said Diane Perez, MD, MHCM, Vice President of Clinical and Business Development at Willow Laboratories. "Our members love that our proprietary score refreshes daily, encouraging progress one day at a time and eliminating guilt."

This daily feedback loop is powered by a host of new AI-driven tools. The app features AI-Powered Precision Coaching, a conversational digital coach that delivers personalized nutrition guidance, anticipatory "nudges," and real-time feedback. The name Nutu, derived from the Latin word for "nudge," reflects this core philosophy of using small, consistent prompts to build lasting habits.

Food logging, often a tedious but critical component of health tracking, has also been rebuilt. The app now includes upgraded image recognition for logging meals from a photo, faster nutrient analysis, barcode scanning, and a database of nutritional information for thousands of national chain restaurant meals. This focus on simplifying data entry is crucial for maintaining user engagement, a key predictor of success in digital health programs.

Earning Trust: The Power of CDC Recognition

What sets Nutu apart in a crowded field of wellness apps is its alignment with clinical standards. The app's Diabetes Prevention Program has earned "preliminary recognition" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This designation means its curriculum is based on the landmark National DPP, a program scientifically proven to be highly effective. The original DPP research showed that a structured lifestyle intervention could reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 58% in high-risk individuals—a result that outperformed the leading medication, metformin.

Achieving this recognition requires adherence to a strict, year-long curriculum and data reporting standards. For users, it provides assurance that the program is not another fleeting wellness trend but a science-driven intervention designed for tangible health outcomes. This stamp of approval is a critical asset when marketing to healthcare providers, insurers, and employers who demand validated solutions.

"The science behind Nutu is compelling, and combining its ease of use should help people reach their health goals," stated Dr. Rohit Kulkarni, MD, PhD, a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chairman of Willow Laboratories' Scientific Advisory Board, lending further clinical weight to the platform's methodology.

A Crowded Field and a Grand Strategy

Nutu enters a competitive digital health landscape where established players like Omada Health, Livongo, and Noom have already gained significant traction with their own CDC-recognized programs. These platforms have demonstrated success in helping users achieve the DPP's primary goals: a modest weight loss of 5-7% and at least 150 minutes of weekly physical activity.

Willow Laboratories is betting that Nutu's advanced AI, highly personalized user experience, and broader accessibility can carve out a significant market share. Offering the platform in English, Spanish, and Arabic from launch is a key differentiator that addresses health equity and expands its potential user base globally.

Furthermore, the Nutu app is not a standalone product but a cornerstone of Willow Laboratories' broader vision for metabolic health. The company, which invented the 'rainbow technology' used in hospitals for noninvasive blood parameter measurement, is strategically bridging its expertise in medical devices with accessible digital tools. This creates the potential for a future integrated ecosystem where data from medical-grade sensors could feed directly into the Nutu platform, creating a powerful continuum of care from clinical monitoring to daily lifestyle management.

By targeting individuals as well as enterprise clients like employers and health systems, Willow Laboratories is positioning Nutu as a scalable solution to a population-level problem. The launch of this smarter, more intuitive app represents a significant step in the company's mission to combat chronic disease not just with clinical hardware, but with intelligent software that fits into the palm of a user's hand.