Innovative NHS mobile fitness app tackles obesity

Creators of a hit NHS mobile fitness app have teamed up with the Department of Health to help people lose weight with a walking game.

16:29 13 December 2013

The makers or a popular zombie running game have created a mobile app funded by the Department of Health with the goal to help people lose weight. The Walk is designed to encourage players to walk in order to progress through a story and unlock audio clips.

Being the first game funded by the NHS, it was described as a combination of classic Alfred Hitchcock films North By Northwest and The 39 Steps.

The game starts with a fictional explosion at Inverness station which cuts off communications and transport networks across the country. Users will then play as the main character called Walker. The task is to carry a mysterious package for the length of the country.

The game is specifically designed to be constantly on and it tracks how far the players are walking every day.

Chief executive Adrian Hon, said that he hoped that the game, which was given a six-figure budget from the government, would be successful.

"Zombies, Run! was huge for us, becoming the most successful smartphone fitness game in the world.”

"As part of the project with the Department of Health, we promised to get more people fit so we broadened the appeal by making it about walking.

"We used practical advice from scientists and doctors with the aim to get people to walk an extra five or 10 minutes a day to get fit."