Overweight people present several health problems associated with their weight such as heart disease, spinal underload and joints, abnormal body posture over time, sensitive areas of constant friction (skin/skin or skin/fabric) with consequent skin problems and deformity of some areas of the body (the abdominal area, for example), excess sweating, among others. Furthermore, in most cases, there is also a self-esteem problem associated with the social pressure and trend that claims, “the thinner the better”. It appears that the prototypes that exist in the market only respond to the need for “larger sizes”, without relevant concern with respect to functionality, design, comfort, and treatment.
Innovation
This R&D project, promoted by Malhas CEF in collaboration with Fibrenamics - University of Minho, aimed to carry out research and development activities for the creation of knowledge needed to develop an innovative line of multifunctional underwear for overweight people. The product integrates the concept Design/Comfort/Treatment and using the seamless technique, a product able to develop several functions simultaneously was developed:
● thermo-physiologic comfort and ergonomic
● postural correction
● muscle tonification
Results
This project aimed to create a portfolio of prototypes for overweight and obese people to improve their quality of life. This includes a multifunctional product development, i.e., considering the specificities of each area of the body, and the fact that each of these areas have different requirements in terms of distribution of functions and needs.
Datasheet
The CEF-PRO project (NSRF No. 2013/30241), sponsored by Malhas CEF SA (Portugal), is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN).
