I’m the founder of a company called Mambo Health Gaming, which I founded six months ago to help people make positive health and wellness changes in their lives. As a veteran healthcare investment banker, I am well aware of the challenges facing our healthcare system. Many of these problems are associated with poor lifestyle decisions, accounting for over 50% of all health costs! These health behaviors can be positively altered, significantly reducing the need for costly treatments and substantially improving the quality of life of those who embrace healthy living. I also know from personal experience that it is possible to make dramatic changes in lifestyle and habits. Health change is not about willpower and incredible discipline. It all starts with a belief that change is possible, likely and achievable. Belief that you will be successful is the most important determinant of change. If someone thinks that they can’t do it, that they don’t have the ability, that it’s too hard, that for some reason they are genetically predisposed to failure, they will fail. We are designing health and wellness applications the encourage people to believe change is possible.
I started MamboHG because I believe that the solution to our healthcare crisis lies with the individual. It’s not about the next new drug or procedure. It’s not about all about cutting reimbursement or designing new devices or streamlining the administrative costs or adding more IT. We are getting fatter and sicker. It’s a fact. But I don’t think it’s because we are lazy or undisciplined. Health behavior change is complicated and well researched. There is no silver bullet. It’s a combination of factors. At MamboHg we are designing products using the tools and concepts that have helped people make positive changes in their health for decades. What is different is that we are taking advantage of changes in the way people interact using social media and gaming.
Our applications incorporate key components of health behavior change drawn from a number of well-established theories:
1. Health Belief Model
2. Stages of Change Model or Transtheoretical Model
3. Consumer Information Processing Model
4. Theory of Reasoned Action
5. Social Learning Theory or Social Cognitive Theory
6. Social Network and Support Theories
In particular our applications incorporate the following features to effect positive health change:
1. Recognize the need for change and that change is possible
2. A plan of action consisting of small daily actions creating new healthy habits and eliminating unwanted habits
3. Accountability and responsibility for one’s actions
4. Realistic and sequential goals
5. Encouragement and peer support
6. Celebration of milestones
7. Rewards
8. Competition
9. Fun, engaging and entertaining
10. Service to others
Our first product is MamboWalk, an everyday walkathon designed to encourage people to increase their daily step count while raising money for their favorite charity. Participants join teams and recruit friends to help them achieve their goals while earning points for prizes.
Please check our website: www.mambowalk.com and register to receive more information.
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