Challenge

The preventive health policy of the Government of Flanders aims at a healthy Flemish population.

Many Flemish people eat unhealthy food. In order to change this behaviour, the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living has developed a new information model for healthy nutrition (and exercise). Subsequently, the government wants to support its citizens at the moment they are in the shop buying food, but also before and after the purchase.

In order to realise this, the Flemish Agency for Care and Health and the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living want to develop a smartphone application. Smartphones offer an excellent tool to promote behavioural change because of the large number of users and the high frequency with which people use this technology. 

There are already many food apps available, but most of them are focused on particular aspects (e.g. calories counting, diets, intolerances, more exercise, etc.) or on certain food groups or suppliers. Moreover, it is not always clear to the public how scientifically justified these applications are. The desired application is not yet off the shelf available on the market.