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Games for Health 2006: Enter exergaming

Posted Oct 23, 2006 at 04:04AM by Tim Y. Listed in: Self Well-being Tags: Wiimote, DDR, California, Dr. Ernie Medina, XRtainment Zone
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Medina


"The greatest threat to our national security is pediatric obesity," says US Surgeon General Richard Carmona (That's not him up there), last June in American College of Sports Medicine Annual Conference in Denver. Strong words, but given that health agencies predict that by 2010, one kid in every five here will be clinically obese, the predictions are truly shocking, and that's not even mentioning the onset of diseases like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hepatic disease - diseases that used to be isolated to adults.

While health groups tend to blame this growing problem on too much "recreational screen time" (video gaming and TV), the usual cure they've given is decidedly just as painful as the ailment: Lessen play time, and exercise.

According to Dr. Ernie Medina (top image) of XRtainment Zone though, the problem isn't so much about trying to wean people off gaming for health's sake, it's about the alternatives. Much like how food lovers dread replacing their yummy snacks with tasteless tofu substitutes, most people see exercise as a chore - something that just isn't any fun to do.

It was with this mindset that Dr. Medina made his program proposal at the Games for Health Conference last Thursday. The program discussed that instead of taking away recreations like gaming and TV for health's sake, why not marry the two? And no, Dr. Median wasn't talking about people just watching TV as they did their laps, or played consoles as they pedalled away.

The program called for a more widespread  introduction of exergaming, that is, where exercise itself is part of the gameplay - Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is one clear example of this unusual gaming genre.

Dr. Medina was also quick to point out the program's benefits, like how age mattered little in exergaming - pictures of the elderly playing DDR alongside children in their XRtainment Zone health center were shown as an example of the lack of social boundaries that the program potentially had. And for parents, it was a very safe way of exercise even compared to more high-impact exercises and sports.

Dr. Medina mentioned the schools and the California-based HMO that adopted his office's exergaming equipment, and how it was affecting their PE session - students were actually looking forward to the exercise.

Given that the next gen consoles we've been looking at are going to focus on player interactivity - the Wiimote in particular - we thought this'd help us get a better view of how gaming can be translated into something healthy and constructive, and work hand-in-hand with its long-time nemesis, exercise.

Forecasted headline within the next few months: "I lost 60 pounds in 30 days. Thanks Zelda!"

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