Pegaso: A Serious Game to Prevent Obesity

The problem of obesity in the world has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16% and 33% of children and adolescents are obese. Even if obesity is among one of the easiest medical conditions to recognize, it is one of the most difficult to treat. The issue of individuals’ motivation to change is the most significant obstacle in promoting positive health behaviours. Games’ ability to reach and engage large number of players for long periods of time provides an opportunity for them to be used as a pedagogical tool. This paper describes how serious games and ‘gamified’ daily life processes appear to be a suitable means for supporting persuasion towards healthful behaviour within the frame of the Pegaso project that aims to develop a multi-dimensional cross-disciplinary ICT system to prevent overweight and obesity in the younger population.

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