Study: AI Meal Plans for Obese Teens Lack Calories, Balance

A new study from researchers at Istanbul Atlas University in Turkey has revealed that popular AI chatbots often generate meal plans for overweight and obese teenagers that fall short of nutritional guidelines, potentially endangering their health during a key growth period. Published on March 12 in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the research examined plans from five leading models and found they averaged nearly 700 fewer calories per day than those recommended by a registered dietitian, alongside imbalanced macronutrients.

The study focused on 15-year-olds, prompting the free versions of ChatGPT 4, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Bing Chat (powered by GPT), Claude 4.1, and Perplexity to create three-day meal plans. Researchers provided detailed profiles for four hypothetical teens: one boy and one girl in the overweight category, and another boy and girl in the obese category, based on age, height, and weight. Each plan included three meals and two snacks daily, using easily accessible foods. These outputs were then compared to reference plans crafted by a pediatric dietitian adhering to international guidelines, such as those from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.