UK's Chief Medical Officer on Video Games
In his latest report on the state of the UK's health, the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has finally come to his senses and admitted that "...stopping children playing video games is unlikely".
Churlish... but sensible nevertheless.
Sir Liam has in fact taken his realisation about video games and is doing something positive with it. "My concern over the growing obesity ‘time bomb’ facing this country is well known, and the East Midlands is looking at the possibility of using interactive computer games to help obese children lose weight. Initial results look promising, and this could prove to be one of the ways of engaging overweight children in exercise."
Promising? The study in question is being carried out by GameCity, Nottingham Trent University, the Department of Health, and clinicians from Nottingham University Hospital. Once again, the thrust of Sir Liam's introduction to the study is less than thrilling, "Video gaming has been strongly implicated as a major cause of overweight and obesity in children and young adults. As stopping children playing video games is unlikely, a research group decided to investigate the health benefits of playing more dynamic and interactive forms of video games."
According to the report, "Fifteen children (14 boys and one girl) were recruited for the first phase of the study, beginning in February 2008. Their energy expenditure was determined when at rest, while playing traditional sedentary video games on PlayStation, and while playing interactive multimedia video games (Sony EyeToy and Nintendo Wii Sports). Their heart rate was monitored continuously throughout the 10-minute sampling period.
"Data highlighted that, during active game play, energy expenditure can be increased by approximately 42% above the levels measured during sedentary game play."
Phase two of the study is now in planning, this will use "interactive, dynamic gaming systems as an intervention strategy for physical activity engagement. Gaming consoles, with associated games, will be provided to 20 children to use freely over a period of 12 weeks. Participants will be drawn from ‘Go 4 It’, a scheme in Nottingham providing physical activity and healthy eating advice and support to overweight and obese children and their parents. Many individuals in this group face barriers to exercise engagement. Interactive games, which can easily be played in the safety of the child’s own home environment, may be one way of minimising these barriers."
This second phase is due to be completed by late spring 2009."
So, if you've got an EyeToy and a PlayStation (or the correct increment of course) - or you have a Wii - you actually might not end up looking as if you have cancer of your heroin habit, at the age of five as suggested by this recent campaign.
http://news.spong.com/article/17430/...on_Video_Games
