“Active” Video Games Do Not Motivate Kids to Exercise

Trying to generate your kid's interest in "active" video games may not have the desired effect after researchers found that such games do not lead to more exercise.

Video games such as dancing games or sports games, which require gamers to use their bodies to simulate sports or dancing, are often thought to generate a child's interest in physical activities. However a recent study conducted by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas found that such games had no effect on whether the kids wanted to participate in physical activities.

The researchers conducted the study on 78 children between 9 to 12 years of age, all of whom were asked to play video games over a period of 13 weeks. The children were divided into two groups, the first group given a choice of two active video games while the second group was given a choice of two inactive games.

The researchers measured physical activities of both groups at first, sixth, seventh and 12th weeks and found that there was not much difference between the two groups. "It doesn't appear that there's any public health value to having active video games available in stores. Simply having those active video games available on the shelf or at home doesn't automatically lead to increased levels of physical activity in children", lead researcher Tom Baranowski said. The study has been published in journal Pediatrics.

Source: Medindia