A new Facebook game tries to improve the lives of people with Type 2 diabetes by motivating them to be healthier.

The HealthSeeker game uses new technology, social media and psychology to reward players for healthy behaviour.

"There are literally hundreds of millions of people playing social games right now," said Michael Fergusson of Agoyo Games, a Vancouver-based studio that creates games, including HealthSeeker, for social networks and smartphones.

"Why do they play them? They play them because of those instant — what we call 'digital dopamine' — this immediate reward that your brain chemistry gives you for having done something that your brain thinks is significant."

The game gives rewards for simple tasks such as eating brown rice or going for a walk. Players can also win virtual gifts to pass on to friends, and progress is posted on the Facebook wall.

The game maker worked with a medical team at Harvard University and a diabetes advocate in the U.S. who uses social media to network with other people with the condition.

"It does increase people's confidence that they can make changes," said Prof. Carolyn Gotay, who teaches public health at the University of British Columbia. "Give them little steps, not big steps all at once."

Gotay said online friends watching a player's progress or failure can also be a powerful motivator, the modern day version of tacking 'eat healthy' reminders to the fridge door or pantry.

So far, 2,000 people have signed up for the free game.

The game was developed by the Diabetes Hands Foundation in collaboration with the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, with support from Boeinger Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.