We4Fit: A game with a purpose for behavior change

Smart phones are increasingly present in our daily lives. Since the launch of the Apple store, more than 500,000 applications were built and some 25 billion downloads were made. We are facing an era where the traditional medical paradigm is leaving the traditional physician-centred model and evolving towards a new de-centralized model where patients are given more responsibility for their health. In this new health care context, the premise whereby many people are eager to contribute by sharing health information, anytime and anywhere, should be included in the design of new technologies to support collaborative work in healthcare. This article presents We4Fit, a mobile phone app intended to change the behavior of the users through participation in a collaborative game. The game was developed to show how gamification can be used as a motivational trigger and the value of persuasive technology in changing the eating habits of the users and in promoting a healthy life.