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health

Fighting Obesity With Video Games

February 28, 2011 By sharker

Is your child gaining too much weight? Then buy him video games! But hold your horses, we have to qualify what kind of video games you have to buy. According to a team of researchers from Hong Kong, obese children can benefit from video games which urge them to move.

Of course the first thing that entered my mind when I read this was the Wii. However, there are other video games out there that provide similar benefits. One India reports:

“A recent active gaming concept that allows players to experience various activities (e.g., bowling, fishing, tennis, golf) in a virtual world is the XaviX gaming system (SSD Company Ltd., Shiga, Japan),” the authors said.

“In addition to the exercise gaming modalities, the XaviX system includes a gaming mat (XaviX J-Mat) that allows participants to travel the streets of Hong Kong at a walk or a run, avoiding obstacles and stamping out ninjas,” they added.

Robin R. Mellecker, B.Sc., and Alison M. McManus, Ph.D., of the Institute of Human Performance, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, measured heart rate and energy (calorie) expenditure in 18 children age 6 to 12 (average age 9.6) during a 25 minute gaming protocol.

“Our data demonstrate that the two active gaming formats result in meaningful increases in energy expenditure compared with the seated screen environment. The next step is to test whether active gaming interventions can provide sustainable increases in childhood physical activity,” the authors said. The study is published in the September issue of Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Not bad, eh? I think the Wii is still the king when it comes to these kinds of things but I am also thinking that more and more in the industry will follow suit.

Filed Under: General, News, Wii Tagged With: health, obesity, video game

Nintendo Wii Fit Plus: Thumbs Up From UK Government

October 31, 2009 By sharker

wii-fit-plus-20090602041004064_640wWhen the Nintendo Wii first came out, it became an instant hit because of the novelty it brought to the video game industry. People immediately saw the potential of Wii Sports. Then Wii Fit came out. Now we have Wii Fit Plus.

Countless people have been enticed to purchase these games in order to make their exercise routines more fun and positive. Even celebrities have been attesting to the effectiveness of the Wii Fit. Hardcore gamers, quite understandably, have turned up their noses at this. After all, you play video games because you want to have fun, not to lose weight, right?

Then again, we have a new generation of gamers – age does not matter and the whole gaming experience is taking on a change. Enter Wii Fit Plus yet again – lose weight while having fun!

And after a lot of flak and “investigation,” it seems that Nintendo has scored big. The UK government has released a statement to the effect that the Wii Fit Plus is a good way to get your blood moving. In fact, the game is now authorized to carry logos from the Change4Life campaign. A health department spokesperson stated that “active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to get kids moving more. Little bits of activity like this throughout the day can easily add up to the 60 active minutes kids need.”

How about adults? I suppose it should work the same way. Anything to get people moving is good, huh?

Photo courtesy of Gamespy

Filed Under: News, Nintendo, Wii Tagged With: health, Nintendo Wii, Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus

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