Pokémon GO: An innovative smartphone gaming application with health benefits

Obesity is a leading public health epidemic worldwide and its prevalence is increasing. While diet and exercise are the cornerstones in the prevention and treatment of obesity and its associated complications, patients often find it difficult to make lifestyle changes. Smartphones are increasingly becoming integrated into our society and can serve as a tool to improve health outcomes. Here, we illustrate the positive health impacts of an innovative smartphone gaming application, Pokémon GO (Niantic Incorporation, San Francisco, California), which is used by millions of users worldwide. The aim of this game is to catch fictional characters known as Pokémon, which users encounter when walking around as opposed to traditional stationary-seated games. Sedentary lifestyle has long been associated with increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Pokémon GO exemplifies a highly successful smartphone application promoting health specifically by rewarding the simplest effective exercise of walking. This application, while representing the next interactive level of gaming, is as an important example of how positive reinforcement can serve as a successful motivation technique.