Going Global
International success for digital behaviour change platform An innovative digital platform which rewards exercise has achieved success on a global level.
S
weatcoin is a clinically validated (BJSM & JMIR mHealth) application that helps individuals walk more. By providing instant reward to individuals for walking, the app overcomes the present bias that leads to physical inactivity and obesity.
The Problem In the UK, 1 in 4 adults do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week. Obesity has grown globally by 4 per cent since 1995 and there is now an 8-year difference in the average lifespan of the richest and poorest in the UK. Obesity is estimated to have a £27 billion impact on the UK economy and is responsible for more than 30,000 deaths a year along with increased risks of colon cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
There are some existing solutions: gym memberships, fitbits and cycle-to-work schemes to name a few, but these rarely make large differences in people’s lives. In addition to gym memberships and fitbits being expensive, most gym memberships are unused by ‘blue Monday’ in January and the average fitbit’s lifespan is only 42 days, while cycle-to-work schemes are far from universal. Unless there are drastic changes, obesity levels are predicted to rise consistently.
The Solution Sweatcoin tracks and validates the steps of each individual before converting them into ‘sweatcoins’. These coins can then be used to purchase physical products and digital services from the app’s marketplace. By introducing instant rewards, Sweatcoin helps its users overcome their ‘present bias’, i.e. a preference for short-term gratification over a larger reward in the long-term. Present bias has been shown to have an adverse affect on health, as it results in individuals being less active. To counteract this, Sweatcoin
grants individuals access to immediate gratification from the most immediate, and accessible, form of exercise – walking.
Success Despite being only 5 years old, Sweatcoin has achieved global success, being launched in over 50 countries and approaching 38 million users. The app has also been number 1 in app stores across North America, Europe
and the rest of the world. The company recently won the Export award for the London region at SEHTA’s 2019 MedTech Business Awards. Not only has Sweatcoin grown across the globe, but two journals have shown that after 6 months of using Sweatcoin, individuals are 19 per cent more active than they were before.
Side Story - Sweatcoin, Diabetes and the NHS Sweatcoin is now working with the Merton CCG in London in order to help pre-diabetic patients prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes. With Sweatcoin, the programme has seen retention increase by 30 per cent, as well as increases of up to 45,000 steps a week from some of the patients. www.sweatco.in
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