New DHF Facebook game helps people with diabetes improve everyday behaviors
We are SUPER-excited to announce one of the biggest undertakings we've worked on pretty much since we launched our communities.
It's called HealthSeeker, a new Facebook® game, with the goal of helping players make specific lifestyle changes that focus on healthy eating. While the benefits of the game are available to anyone, HealthSeeker™ specifically helps people with diabetes make more informed lifestyle decisions in an innovative way that complements their daily use of social media.
HealthSeeker™ combines a supportive social networking environment with important information on managing diabetes. The game utilizes the player's own Facebook® friends as sources of inspiration and support on the road to better health.
There are MISSIONS and ACTION STEPS to help players achieve LIFESTYLE GOALS and create an opportunity to advance in the game. These LIFESTYLE GOALS include eating more healthfully, achieving or maintaining a healthy weight, improving one’s diabetes control and lowering cardiovascular risk factors. As ACTION STEPS are completed and players return to report their progress, they receive experience points and other awards for their achievements.
HealthSeeker™ is a unique collaboration between diabetes experts and patient advocates who are on the front lines of diabetes care. It was developed by the Diabetes Hands Foundation in collaboration with Joslin Diabetes Center, with financial support provided by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
We wanted to harness the Facebook® phenomenon to help people with diabetes make necessary changes in their daily lives. Many people with diabetes struggle with the lifestyle changes that are needed to help manage their condition, such as adding more fiber, fruit and vegetables to their diets, or increasing their daily activity. HealthSeeker™ can help people with diabetes stay motivated by suggesting simple, everyday steps to help them achieve their lifestyle goals and then rewarding them for their success.
One of the people involved in the Joslin team was Dr. Richard Jackson (an endocrinologist and Director of Medical Affairs, Healthcare Services, Joslin Diabetes Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School). He had this to say about the game and his hopes for it:
"As a clinician who has been treating people with diabetes for over 30 years, I can tell you that food is often the most frustrating area of concern for people with the condition. We hope this novel and engaging game will break down some of the barriers that are preventing people with diabetes from building a successful lifestyle approach to their condition."
Here is a video to give you a feel about the game:
HealthSeeker™ can be accessed at www.healthseekergame.org. The game was designed by Ayogo Games, Inc.
It's called HealthSeeker, a new Facebook® game, with the goal of helping players make specific lifestyle changes that focus on healthy eating. While the benefits of the game are available to anyone, HealthSeeker™ specifically helps people with diabetes make more informed lifestyle decisions in an innovative way that complements their daily use of social media.
HealthSeeker™ combines a supportive social networking environment with important information on managing diabetes. The game utilizes the player's own Facebook® friends as sources of inspiration and support on the road to better health.
There are MISSIONS and ACTION STEPS to help players achieve LIFESTYLE GOALS and create an opportunity to advance in the game. These LIFESTYLE GOALS include eating more healthfully, achieving or maintaining a healthy weight, improving one’s diabetes control and lowering cardiovascular risk factors. As ACTION STEPS are completed and players return to report their progress, they receive experience points and other awards for their achievements.
HealthSeeker™ is a unique collaboration between diabetes experts and patient advocates who are on the front lines of diabetes care. It was developed by the Diabetes Hands Foundation in collaboration with Joslin Diabetes Center, with financial support provided by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
We wanted to harness the Facebook® phenomenon to help people with diabetes make necessary changes in their daily lives. Many people with diabetes struggle with the lifestyle changes that are needed to help manage their condition, such as adding more fiber, fruit and vegetables to their diets, or increasing their daily activity. HealthSeeker™ can help people with diabetes stay motivated by suggesting simple, everyday steps to help them achieve their lifestyle goals and then rewarding them for their success.
One of the people involved in the Joslin team was Dr. Richard Jackson (an endocrinologist and Director of Medical Affairs, Healthcare Services, Joslin Diabetes Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School). He had this to say about the game and his hopes for it:
"As a clinician who has been treating people with diabetes for over 30 years, I can tell you that food is often the most frustrating area of concern for people with the condition. We hope this novel and engaging game will break down some of the barriers that are preventing people with diabetes from building a successful lifestyle approach to their condition."
Here is a video to give you a feel about the game:
HealthSeeker™ can be accessed at www.healthseekergame.org. The game was designed by Ayogo Games, Inc.
Tags: ayogo, boehringer, collaboration, eating, facebook, game, health, healthseeker, healthy, ingelheim, More…
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by The Diabetic Welfare Queen on -
Great, I added it and invited all kinds of people... Maybe now I can get the motivation to exercise again. lol
-
Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on -
Well... as The Beatles would say: "I get by with a little help from my friends!" ;)
-
Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on
-
Let us know your thoughts. Here's the game's fan page, where you can leave feedback in the Forum:
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=114713051892552
-
Permalink Reply by Domo! on -
Hmmm i do like challenges, and i love points... i'm going to start slow and do just two missions, one has to do with exercise the other has to do with monitoring.
-
Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on
-
Take it at your own pace, Domo!
-
Permalink Reply by ♥Jolly Dolly♥ on -
Going to check it out now. :D
-
Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on
-
Super!! Let us know what you think: tell all your Facebook friends about it!!!!!
-
Permalink Reply by Andreina Davila on -
I took 3 missions. I will work exercise today! yay!
-
Permalink Reply by PowerPumper on -
I don't like to criticize something that may actually help many people, but the ideas being promoted in this game go against many things I've come to believe in. I'm rather dissapointed in DHF and especially Joslin.
I have been following a low carb routine for two years now. I'm not dead yet. On the contrary, I'm doing a heck of a lot better than before in terms of BG control, weight management, BP, and energy levels. No you don't fall on your face when you for-go the mega-carb diet. You actually thrive! It's not just me but aslo teh many other people, diabetic and non who are succeeding with this approach.
This game is heavy on grain consumption. Did you know an estimated 1/20 type 1's have Celiac's? Did you know there's a suspected link between wheat and type 1? After reading up on the relationship, my links and many more, why on earth would any type 1 want to eat wheat based products? I don't anymore.
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/mens-hea...
http://www.elements4health.com/type-1-diabetes-patients-have-immune...
http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/58/8/1723.extract
Joslin/Harvard are known as staunch carb pushers. They discard or discredit every piece of evidence anti-carb evidence. They continue to spew the saturated fat is bad myth even though there's no scientific evidence showing that it is. None!
Yes, new diabetics will find an improvement following this method, but forget about reversing anything and getting off meds. Expect your 4% progression per year.
-
Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on
-
Hello PowerPumper,
As a reference, here are the 12 missions offered in the game currently, some of which are focused on carbs (in general), some of which are focused on grains/fiber/fruits and then some that have nothing to do with eating at all:
* Roughin' It: The Fiber Mission
* Groovy Grains! The Whole Grain Mission
* Over the Rainbow: The Fruits and Veggies Mission
* The Phat Mission!
* Jack Sprat Could Eat No Fat
* Snack Attack!
* What the Fiber?
* A Dash'll Do Ya: The Sodium Mission
* Carbs Count!
* It’s a Numbers Game! The Monitoring Mission
* Move It! Move It!
* I WILL Move It! Move It!
As for the comment on saturated fat, I am including a screenshot from "The Phat Mission" (focused on fats) from the game:
There is a clear reference on it about the role of different kind of fats.
I wouldn't encourage you to change anything that is working for you. Perhaps you can look into some of the missions that you feel comfortable with.
If you can send us specific comments about missions/action items that you feel could be improved upon, we'd love to hear them.
Advertisement
REsources
Groups
From the Diabetes Hands Foundation blog...
Congratulations Diabetes Advocates Scholarship Recipients!
The Diabetes Hands Foundation and Diabetes Advocates Program is proud to announce and congratulate the members of DA who were granted scholarships to attend diabetes conferences in 2013! Thanks to a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, in 2013 we were …Continue Reading
La Familia de EsTuDiabetes Sigue Creciendo
El Centro Nacional de Prevención de Enfermedades Crónicas y Promoción de la Salud en el Estados Unidos encontró que a partir de 2002-2009, el 11,8% de los hispanos mayores de 20 años, que viven en los EU, viven con diabetes …Continue Reading
TuDiabetes Team
DHF STAFF
 Manny Hernandez(Co-Founder, Editor, has LADA)
|
DHF VOLUNTEERS
Lead Administrator
 Bradford (has type 1) |
Administrators
 Lorraine (mother of type 1) |
 Marie B (has type 1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIKE us on Facebook
Spread the word
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
© 2013 A community of people touched by diabetes, run by the Diabetes Hands Foundation.
