Keeping Children Engaged in Obesity Treatment
Pediatric Obesity, Daily Engagement & Behavior Change
The Challenge
Pediatric obesity treatment is not mainly a knowledge problem. Children and families often know the goals, but the hard part is sustaining daily action when the benefits arrive weeks or months later and the temptations are immediate.
This affects school-aged children, especially ages 6-12, and their families. Prof. Gal Dubnov-Raz estimates that roughly 500,000 children in Israel live with obesity, with even more living with overweight. His specialty clinic sees the problem every day.
Standard care combines face-to-face visits with a pediatrician, dietitian, exercise specialist, and psychologist. That human connection is essential, but frequent visits burden families and leave children with little daily support between appointments.
Telehealth, step counters, habit logs, points, and prizes have not solved the problem. In Sheba's 2023-2024 randomized trial, a 30-session telemedicine program with step monitoring and physical prizes produced worse BMI z-score reduction and lower satisfaction than face-to-face care. App activity and prize collection did not translate into weight outcomes.
The Big Idea
Can a game create deeper intrinsic motivation for school-aged children in obesity treatment, while supporting the clinical program rather than replacing it?
What a Jam Prototype Could Be
- A daily game loop that makes healthy choices part of a meaningful mission instead of a chore.
- A parent-child cooperative mode that reduces friction at home.
- A clinic-connected dashboard mockup showing adherence and engagement patterns.
- A prototype that rewards planning, persistence, self-monitoring, and confidence rather than only steps or calories.
- A design process that includes children living with obesity through a small focus group, so the play experience reflects their needs rather than adult assumptions.
Design Questions
- What rewards feel motivating without becoming shallow prize systems?
- How can the game support children ages 6-12 without shame or weight stigma?
- How can clinicians see useful signals without turning the game into surveillance?
- What game mechanic could keep a child engaged between appointments?
- Can the experience strengthen intrinsic motivation instead of depending on points, prizes, or parent pressure?
What This Is Not
- Not a diagnosis tool, treatment order, or replacement for clinical judgment.
- Not a place to use identifiable patient data.
- Not expected to be a finished hospital product after 30 hours.
Why This Matters
A better game could help bridge the gap between the clinic visit and daily life. Success should be tested through change in BMI z-score, weight-related quality of life, treatment adherence, frequency and duration of play, and child and parent satisfaction, not engagement alone.