Playing active
video games could contribute to physical fitness. A group of 23 children
had their energy exertion measured while they watched television, walked on a
treadmill, and played two active video games. This report is in the journal
Pediatrics and it was done at the University of Oklahoma and also done in the
U.K. What they found that playing active games at a high skill level was
similar to moderate intensive walking. The authors suggested that for
children who spent a lot of time playing video games, active video games could
be a valuable means of promoting activity. However, an accompanying
review article finds there have been no large, quality, or especially high
quality, studies on the effects of these types of games on children's health.
The caution should be that we shouldn't leap to conclude that they're positive
influences.
