Scots men lose weight with the help of fictional characters
A group of Scottish men has lost weight thanks to a project which sent them text messages from fictional characters. Over 100 men took part in the ‘Game of Stones’ study which explored whether digital storytelling and financial incentives could have a positive impact on their health.
The digital storytelling intervention was designed and written by Dr Mark Grindle, a digital health researcher at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Dr Grindle, a former film and TV writer and producer who worked on programmes including Dr Finlay and Take the High Road, devised a set of characters who texted participants over a twelve-month period. The story centered around Slim, an overweight man who overcomes the negative influences in his life to lose weight and gain confidence.
The digital narrative work was conducted as part of the the ‘Game of Stones’ feasibility study led by Professor Pat Hoddinott from the University of Stirling. The research also explored the use of financial incentives. Participants were given £400 and could keep the money if they lost weight. Researchers found that greater weight loss occurred for participants who received both the text messages and incentives. The study, which was funded by the National Institute for Health Research, reported that participants lost an average of 3% of their body weight over the course of the trial.
Dr Grindle said: “Storytelling has been used to change human behaviour for millennia. Now we use digital technologies to tell stories and this engages participants at ever deeper emotional levels.
“It was amazing how many participants texted Slim back as if he were a real person. They shared their own experiences of losing weight with him. This told us that the approach was working. Participants picked up on the power and potential of the underlying health behavior change approach. It is about emotional and often non-conscious engagement.”
One participant who took part in the study explained: “It’s like having a friend who’s in the same boat, and you’re both trying to achieve the same thing. And that’s always helpful.”
The Game of Stones concept will now be trialled on a larger scale. If it continues to provide positive results it is hoped the service could be rolled out across the UK.
Dr Grindle is working on a range of other health and wellbeing projects which employ the digital storytelling approach. These include a virtual reality intervention which uses interaction with wild animal characters to support vulnerable young people in rural regions of five low to middle income countries, a mobile phone app to increase resilience in frontline health and social care staff and help them cope with the mental health impacts of COVID-19 and a digital tool to support adolescents with long term mental health concerns.