DietSensor laser, app help those with diabetes count carbs

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Remy Bonnasse's 9-year-old daughter developed Type 1 diabetes and he knew little on how to deal with it.

"We wanted to make it easy for her because for her life, she will have to count carbs," said Bonnasse.

Diabetics must keep their blood sugar under control, so knowing the carbohydrate count in food is crucial, which is why Bonnasse set out to create DietSensor.

He worked with doctors and nutritionists to develop software and a database of over 600,000 foods to analyze what's on your plate.

"It has the ability to read the cells of any object. It's going to be able to tell you carbs, fat and protein in your food," said Bonnasse.

Scan a bar code or the food itself to build your meal or let you know what you're plate is offering.

"The products that are coming out now are, actually, amazing and this is one of them," said dietitian Remy Heustis, of Providence St. Joseph Medical Center.

Bonnasse showed Heustis how it works. Heustis sees the need for such innovations for diabetics and weight issues.

"As a dietitian, it's one of my biggest concerns with my patients is you need to know how much. I can definitely see it being positive for, again, somebody who needs to count certain macronutrients," Heustis said.

It doesn't, however, read micronutrients. DietSensor analyzes fat, for example, but doesn't detect mono, poly, saturated or omega-3 fats, and they are important to note.

When it comes to combination foods: If you're eating a mixed food like a casserole and such, you might want to individually analyze those foods. Otherwise, you're going to be relying on information from products and restaurants found on the company's data base.

Still, Heustis approves.

"Counting carbs is tedious, but it's a question of life or death for people with diabetes. So, today, we count carbs every day with her," said Bonnasse.

DietSensor is $249. There's a free app, plus an upgrade informational option for a small monthly fee.

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