Video Game Weight Loss

Scrolling through the “In the News” section of my Nutrition 494 Blackboard I came across an article titled “Wii games don't mean kids exercise more: study.” It got me thinking about whether or not we can use video games to lose weight. I decided to look into it a little bit more and I found mixed information. Yes, some games can help you be more active, but in order to reap the benefits you have to USE them. Although their intentions may be good many of these games are not used enough to promote weight loss. In order to take full advantage of these games people need to actively and regularly use them. Here is a list of some of the top “weight loss” games:

·      Zumba Fitness

·      EA Sport Active 2

·      The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout

·      Dance Central

Although a number of “weight loss” games exist research shows that people don’t really use them enough to make a differnece. An article on Forbes.com noted that most people’s WII Fits ended up collecting dust on their living room floor. A study at the Baylor college of Medicine ran tests to compare the amount of exercise “active” video game users got in comparison to “inactive” video games users. The difference? Nothing. Children who played the “active games” didn’t get any extra physical activity than the other children. So why is it that the video game market can have good intentions that don’t work? It’s hard to say. Perhaps the level of activity done in video games isn’t enough to make a significant difference. Or Maybe the games lead people to believe they are getting enough exercise when, in reality, they aren’t. Whatever the reason may be it is important to keep in mind that there is no easy substitute for REAL physical activity and if we want to be healthy we have to put in the effort. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a little WII Fitness along the way!