<!– @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>
It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that video games and obesity are linked. I have to admit that I am a little jealous and grateful at the same time that the technology of today was not around when I was a child. Video games can be fun and are definitely addictive. Overweight children generally live more sedentary lifestyles and are socially less active. They have more idle time and since video games can be so addictive they find themselves playing games for entertainment. The implications of this is that playing video games could cause obesity rather than obesity being a cause of playing video games.
Comparing video games and obesity to television viewing it would seem fairly obvious that television viewing is the worse of the two evils. Most traditional video games require the use of two hands to operate the game controller. One could theorize that while playing video games children are snacking less and are not exposed to advertisements promoting unhealthy foods. Of course, the downside to this theory is the “pause” button. Additionally studies have shown that heavier children spend more time in sedentary activities than thinner kids do. Children with lower body mass indexes are more likely to use computers for non-game purposes, and their video game usage varies.
Because of video games and obesity the manufacturers of electronic games have had a bad reputation over the years. But just like any good business they have come up with a solution that may very well be an answer to childhood obesity. Integrated game consoles such as Nintendo Wii have opened up a whole new perspective on physical activity. “Children burn more than four times as many calories per minute playing an active video game than playing a seated game, and their heart rate is also significantly higher with the active game”, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The Nintendo Wii game is user friendly and entertaining for everyone including spectators. It comes with 5 sports games: bowling, golf, boxing, tennis, and baseball along with other features such as a body mass index calculator and a tracking system for up to 8 users. The game is played by using the controller in a similar fashion as you would a bowling ball or golf club. Another popular game is the XaviX gaming system. Quite similar to the Nintendo Wii system except it also sports games that involve more physical activity such as jogging by use of a gaming mat called the XaviX-J-Mat.
It is refreshing to know that video games and obesity have hope. Video games do come with a price tag but when it comes to your childs health it is worth the investment. Extertainment games could pay for themselves when you consider the savings from medical bills, emergency room visits, and other costs associated with obesity treatment. If you find yourself in a no win situation with the kids and video games this may be a positive solution for the whole family to enjoy. Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, “the power of technological progress can be converted from foe to friend with regard to the health of children” by being tapped to provide a meaningful source of physical activity (Reinberg, HealthDay, 9/1/08; Mellecker/McManus, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, September 2008]). While these may prove to be beneficial, parents should encourage outdoor activity to further help prevent obesity.
Why did our friends insist we come to their tailgate party if it was a kiddie-fest. We don't have kids?
My husband and I got an invitation to a tailgate party at Saturday's football game to our friends who have 2 children. They said they weren't able to get a sitter and they had invited several other families from their neighborhood to join us. We tried to decline-we preferred to do our own thing-but they insisted. When we got there, they totally ignored us and just talked to the other families about what the kids were doing. Not great fodder for a pre-game, beer drinking activity and hubby and I were totally bored. We have always done their kid activities with them in support of them having children-showers, bdays, etc- even though we do not (at first it was health reasons we don't, and now we've just decided it's best this way) in the past, but this is not one of those times. We were good sports and contributed to the conversation when we could. Was it rude of them not to talk to us about stuff that interested us too?
I know better than to talk ONLY about what is going on in my life, as does any other rational adult. So why do parents get a free pass on this manner, just because the topic is kids and not my catering business, my health, or whatever else my current interest is?
While you are right, it is difficult to eat while playing a video game, a video game is something you do in your free time. If you are playing video games in your free time, chances are you are not exercising, which is the best way to burn off the calories you get from eating. The key is moderation. It's ok to play video games, but make sure you are exercising for at least an hour every day. As for your house rules, I am no judge to your parents rules, but I would have to say that banning video games but allowing tv is not a good way to prevent obesity.
Video games can be part of a sedentary lifestyle (like TV, fast food, ect). The lifestyle leads to obesity.
no..but i blame it for increased hippo on hippo violence
No.
Unless it is all they do, what causes them to little exersice.
But there a lot of other things that causes that too.(televison, internet etc.)
Good idea.
While we are at it, they can tax monopoly and yahtzee and all other table top games, since they make you just as lazy.
Hell, they can tax sedatives, since the end result is even more laziness.
Then…to ensure the government gets the most possible money to fund this program to its fullest, we can tax the parents even more for providing school buses to and from school, and my favorite of all…tax the people who make the matress the kids sleep on, since that relaxes them so much they fall asleep.
Oh my, the potential that the "Couch Potato" tax has.
Cars, sofas, lounge chairs…ohh…flotation devices….make the little bastages swim…
If you want to fix the problem of overweight kids, make the parents pay a "tax per pound". This will motivate the parents to stop buying so many unhealthy foods for the kids, and instead of buying them the new sports video games…they may actually be motivated to buy them a real football or a baseball glove….Just a pipe dream….
Trust nothing.
There is no credible information out there.
Sounds like you're on your way to answering your own question.
Sounds good to me, unless the games are ones that encourage exercise — like that dancing on the spots thing.
YES! They might try to eat you or shoot you! The good thing is that they can't run! So just walk away. Nah I'm just kidding, the games might produce some aggression, but I've seen kids that play video games constantly and they are perfectly healthy. As for the violence part I play video games a lot and you don't see me shoot people and I'm pretty sure that I'm healthy.
video games are not responsible, kids choose to do this. i remember all i did was go outside and play when i was little. but as soon as i had that ps1 in my room, i stopped. its all about choice. i don't think video games should be blamed. you also have to think about all the fast food restaurants that are on every block of america- its crazy. we're just moving a different cultrue i guess
Some games have check points, and some you can only save at the end of a level.
He can pause the game and come back to it later, though.
Why don't you two do stuff together? You play with him for 1/2 hr, then he comes outside with you for 1/2 hr, and then he can get back to him game.
neither. Parents cause child obesity. Dont buy the twinkies and junk food. Cook healthy meals instead of going to McDonalds or any fast food. Dont let the child snack late at night when watching tv. Dont have pop in the house. Make them drink water or if you do have pop then have diet caffeine free pop.
studies show video games DO NOT actually cause obesity…
a lack of exercise and/or unhealthy eating habits cause obesity
video games are just one of a list they like to pick on along with things like the internet and general television because people who spend all their spare time doing these activities funnily enough are not spending that time exercising.
and donuts, and french fries and hamburgers, and potato chips and hostess products.. (i dont play video games) i just dont see a point.. i feel adults buy games for their children they should know what they are getting themselves into
Well, "violent" has nothing to do with the issue here. The issue youre talking about is just "video games" themselves.
Yes, speaking from experience video games can increase obesity, shorten attention spans, and desensitize someone to violence. It can also lead to under-developed social skills and coping mechanisms.
I love playing video games, especially violent video games, but one must understand that its best to do it in moderation.
In holland everybody cycles everywhere. Obesity is much less of an issue there and the government saves billions on healthcare costs. In fact, there is universal health insurance because it is actually affordable with such a healthy population.
America would do well to encourage cycling in the big cities, which would go some way to reducing the need for oil. However, the government needs to create cycle lanes etc. to make it safe.
The government could also tax gasoline consumption more or big engine cars, or subsidise greener fuels. However, these are kind of distorting the working of a free market.
I was on the streets playing badminton. My neighbor comes out of her house and tells me she does not want to see my big ass playing on the streets and to go back inside and continue playing my videogames. I am a little chubby around 150lb. I would like to exercise sometimes but because of how others view me, I have to go back to my old habit. When you see an obese lady in the gym, how many of you think that she’s going to last and have the will to go on till she’s back to her normal weight? I mean video games and obesity definitely is linked but the community is not supportive in helping these fellas. Friends and parents only tell them they are obese, what can they do? Go back to their video games and live in their fantasy. It’s an on-going loop. People do not get obese because of playing videogames, obsessive playing of videogames and unhealthy eating habits while playing videogames, and of course lack of exercise gets them obese. Once they are labeled out of the normal weight, they feel ashamed to go out, because others will view them as obese, and they need that escape from the world they live in. escape from the horror they live in, escape from the names they are called, and through the screen, they are not to be seen and not to be judge. The only judgment they get is how well they are doing. Everyone would like to be accepted not judged. Same for obesity.