Upping the game: can we ‘gamify’ our way to better health?
Upping the game: can we ‘gamify’ our way to better health?
Upping the game: can we ‘gamify’ our way to better health?
James Wigzell, John Ronayne
November 07, 2025
Summary
Gamification can shift insurance wellness from predicting health outcomes to actively improving them. Like modern weather forecasting, actuaries can move beyond historical patterns to influence future results through targeted interventions. Gamified platforms such as YuLife engage users sustainably, collecting rich behavioural data and motivating healthier choices through game mechanics, not just incentives. Long-term data shows sustained increases in physical activity, especially among older inactive users, with significant reductions in mortality risk. A randomized controlled trial found gamification outperformed incentives alone across physical, mental and behavioural health metrics, delivering measurable reductions in health risks and projected insurance claims.
Reference
Wigzell, J., & Ronayne, J. (2025, November 7). Upping the game: Can we ‘gamify’ our way to better health? The Actuary. https://www.theactuary.com/2025/11/05/upping-game-can-we-gamify-our-way-better-health