Video games promoted in fight against childhood obesity

MONTREAL - In the fight against childhood obesity, grim statistics continue to be reported.
One in four children in the U.S. spend at least three hours a day sitting in front of the computer surfing the net but not doing school work - up from 22 per cent in 2003.

Yet as an international conference being held in Montreal this week shows, the news isn't all bleak. In fact, one of the evils that's been blamed for contributing toward obesity in children - video games - is now being used to promote physical activity.

It's called exergaming, video games that spur children (as well as their parents) to use all their limbs rather than only their thumbs.

An American company called Exergame Fitness is leading the way for YMCA's, Schools, Park Districts and Health Clubs around the world, outiftting them with the latest and greatest in kids interactive Exergaming products.


"When we talk about obesity, we often talk about the fast-food industry," said Laurette Dube, organizer of the 2008 McGill Health Challenge Think Tank. "But that's only one side of the equation - the energy-in side. We also have to look at the energy-out side, and that's why it's very important to look at ways in which we can reduce kids' inactive time and increase their share of time that gets them moving."

Linda Carson, a professor of physical education at West Virginia University, acknowledged that exergaming, popularized by such games as Dance Dance Revolution and Nintendo's Wii Sports, is controversial.

"There are some folks who feel that by promoting physical activity through the use of video games, children are being socially isolated or not encouraged to go outside and play," Carson said. "There are some opponents who say that it takes away from traditional physical education exercise."

But Carson argued that exergaming is a "wholesome" activity that is free of the violence that plagues so many of today's video games. With the Wii console, for example, children can simulate snowboarding and many other sports in a safe manner.

Carson and her colleagues have just completed a study showing that obese and overweight children who play exergames don't gain weight and improve their physiological function.
In her study, Carson created two groups of overweight children. The first group spent 12 weeks with a variety of exergames. The second group continued with their regular routine.
After the 12 weeks were up, the researchers discovered that the children in the second group gained weight. But the children in the exergaming group maintained their weight, while improving their aerobic ability and endothelial capacity (how well the arteries respond to blood flow.)

What's more, some children in the exergaming group expressed for the first time an interest and confidence in trying out for some outdoor sports, Carson said.

"I think exergaming needs to be recognized as an exciting alternative to traditional physical education," she added. "There is a lot of value to children having physical activity options in their home and even at school."

Exergame Fitness – a Motion Fitness Company is the world’s largest distributor & supplier of Exergaming, Exerlearning, Kids Fitness Products & Programming to YMCA’s, Schools, JCC’s. Park Districts, Health Clubs, Hospitals, Kid Zones, Family Entertainment Centers, Casinos, Government/VA and more.

Exergame Fitness provides Facility Planning & Installation, Grant & Funding Assistance, Program Design & Product Training, Turnkey Marketing Support, Free Layout Designs & Concepts, Detailed Programming Curriculums, Finance & Lease Options and more. Exergame Fitness offers the lowest prices on any of the products they carry backed by a 110% Lowest Price Guarantee.
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The Deadly Economics of the Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Children's International Obesity Foundation sees too many financial benefits going to interests which keep children fat.

New York, New York September 18, 2008 -- According to the CHILDREN'S INTERNATIONAL OBESITY FOUNDATION (CIOF), an acknowledged authority and voice regarding childhood obesity, the short-term financial benefits and incentives for fattening up children are making childhood obesity into a profit opportunity for too many, and at the ultimate expense of children's lives.

Douglas Castle, speaking for CIOF, said, "It is acknowledged by every major healthcare agency and authority in the United States and throughout the world that obesity is the greatest threat facing our children today. The obesity epidemic is the gravest threat to kids' health that we know, and a whole generation's very survival is threatened by it.

The public is being deceived and misled into believing that their funds are going toward saving kids. Meanwhile, these groups are getting richer and more powerful, and CIOF has to work even harder to get its essential humanitarian work done.We have to stay alive so that we can fight to keep children alive. The economic deck is stacked against legitimate efforts at getting youngsters from fat to fit. Our awareness, education, prediction and prevention programs need even greater resources to fight the efforts of these wolves in sheep's clothing.

"No one argues that more than one in every three children is dangerously overweight or obese. No one disputes that complications from childhood overweight are, by far, the greatest single cause of death amongst our youngsters. And it is well established that this generation of children is the first in recorded history to have a shorter life expectancy than their own parents. CIOF has been shouting this.

"The obvious question is, 'if we, as a decent society know this, why aren't we doing something to reverse the epidemic?'

"The answer is chilling," said Castle. "Too many companies, agencies and even foundations are simply making too much money by keeping kids fat. The snack food and beverage giants, the pharmaceutical companies, the pop-psychologists, the clothing manufacturers, the fad diet pundits -- even some unscrupulous healthcare providers and foundations which are actually just puppets for these same special interest groups are getting richer and richer by feeding off of this epidemic.

"These groups are either oblivious to the future of humankind, or they are engorged leeches, without any conscience. They are trading children's lives for profits and cash flow. Until there is anincentive for these profiteers to behave differently, and until they are revealed for who they really are, they will continue to confound every sincere effort to stop this killer," warned Castle.
Robert Hinnen, CIOF's Executive Director, said, "Too much money is going to these profiteers and political interests -- and not nearly enough is going to organizations like CIOF, where our agenda is completely transparent and our mission is to predict, prevent and treat obesity; in that order.

"We recently launched our September awareness and fund raising campaign to help stop the obesity epidemic, and we are competing for every single dollar with these 'so called' charities and other groups which are actually controlled by the same interests that push the products which make children fat and keep them even fatter.

"Yes, the economy is very shaky right now, but can we allow this to dictate the quality of health for our children?

"Donations are desperately needed now more than ever...We fully understand that people want to know where their money is going, especially now with what we all just witnessed with Lehman, Merrill, AIG and everyone impacted by the catastrophic changes on Wall Street...but the difference here is we don't have the option to have the Federal Reserve send 'lifeboats' for our kids, instead, CIOF has to fight for even a small fraction of the funds which actually go toward the promotion of obesity.

"My observation is that sadly very few of us realize how much harm is being done...These other players are re-routing dollars right back into the power source that is making our children sick with cardiac problems, diabetes, respiratory failure, kidney and liver diseases and even cancer.
"The public is being deceived and misled into believing that their funds are going toward saving kids. Meanwhile, these groups are getting richer and more powerful, and CIOF has to work even harder to get its essential humanitarian work done."

Hinnen continued, "We have to stay alive so that we can fight to keep children alive. The economic deck is stacked against legitimate efforts at getting youngsters from fat to fit. Our awareness, education, prediction and prevention programs need even greater resources to fight the efforts of these wolves in sheep's clothing."

To make a tax deductible gift to CIOF, visit www.ciofoundation.org and donate. You can donate by mail, or directly online, through a secured portal on the website. CIOF is funded almost entirely bycontributions from individuals and small organizations.

ABOUT CHILDREN'S INTERNATIONAL OBESITY FOUNDATION (CIOF) CIOF is an approved IRS Section 501(c)(3)not-for-profit public foundation and charity whose international mission it is to eliminate dangerous overweight and obesity in children and teens through prediction, prevention, support and treatment. Each year, health complications caused by overweight and obesity in children and teens are responsible for a steadily increasing mortality statistic. CIOF notes that this is the first generation of children in the United States Of America who are not expected to live as long as their parents. To learn more about this problem and what you can do to help, visit www.ciofoundation.org

Healthcare Giants Talk Games For Health Initiatives

Healthcare Giants Talk Games For Health Initiatives

Continuing Gamasutra's coverage of the 2008 Games For Health conference, we feature a panel included several different major healthcare organizations, including Kaiser Permanente and Humana.

Each discussed their involvement creating games for health, with some of the educational titles cited including The Amazing Food Detective and Re-Mission.

The Amazing Food Detective

Dr. Trina Histon opened by introducing the audience to her employer Kaiser Permanente: America's largest nonprofit integrated health care system with 13,000 physicians and 156,000 employees.

Histon explained that they were "looking for a 21st century equivalent for 1940's cartoon signs encouraging workers to 'EAT RIGHT!'" as part of their weight management initiative. So they looked at game development, producing The Amazing Food Detective, a game aimed at children aged 9-10.

"Developing games is a bit of a departure for us," she admitted, "but the obesity epidemic can't be solved by medical community alone. Health plans offer prevention and surgery, but they were looking for a broader reach: Trying to reach community through schools and children. Physicians weren't on board right away – we had to work with them to convince them sitting in front of computer/TV is worthwhile. The game tells you to go be active after a timer runs out."

Similarly, scholastic partnership was important: the game is available over 5000 schools, and has won several awards (IMA Award, Parenting Award, KIDS FIRST! Award) making it easier for Kaiser Permanente to use video games in future.

In the game, players "solve" the case of why certain kids aren't healthy, and Histon pointed out several important points about the project:

- The game was based in evidence -- pediatric research – and not "just gimmicky."
- The title had a broad reach, available in both English and Spanish, and further, the game was culturally sensitive with the in-game children from different ethnicities.
- The game helps improve health literacy: "Don't make it tough to understand," Histon warned.

The hope, Histon felt, was that "In 20 years, we can look back and say this helped get rid of the obesity epidemic."

Humana Games

Next, Paul Puopolo, head of Consumer Innovation at Humana, explained Humana's involvement with Games For Health. They chose to look at health "across the board,"

Puopolo explained, working on preventive health, disease management, social well-being, beginning with pilot program with exergames in 2007-08: Generation FIT in middle schools, dance mats in assisted living facilities to help muscle/bone development and other solutions for the workplace.

As a specific example, Puopolo described an initiative that Humana had run in middle schools, where "pedometers meet Webkinz" in a competition. They gave pedometers to 20 students in 6 schools and performed a competition on how many steps they could take.

More steps equaled more points, and more points equaled an ability to modify virtual buses and drivers, which went around the world (virtually) teaching the participants about geography on the way. "in 4 and a half weeks, 120 kids walked 6364 miles," Puopolo revealed.

Furthermore, Pupolo revealed the Humanagames.com initiative, a new portal set up to raise awareness of health issues and present Humana-associated research.

Re-Mission

Finally, Michael Rosenfield from CIGNA took the stage to discuss the creation of Re-Mission, a much-discussed 20 level game in which players shoot cancer cells and "manage life threatening side effects", helping to explain and .

"My colleagues gave me a blank face 18 months ago when I talked about games," Rosenfield said. "We're always looking for neat ways to engage our 'constituents': employers, employees, etc, but games weren't on our checklist."

"Then we ran into [game creator] HopeLab," he said. "They helped us figure out how to engage users, be fun and, what's more, in a way scientifically proven to make a difference. The science is key in convincing people to sign on."

15,000 copies of Re-Mission were distributed to anyone (not just CIGNA members), and they found the game inspired children with cancer, giving them a sense of control.

"People tell us the game is really hard, really challenging," said Rosenfield. "I tell them, 'so is cancer. Families are also affected and can learn from the game. The whole system is involved, and we never expected that."

POSTED: 04.46AM PST, 06/03/08 - Kyle Orland, Mathew Kumar