Moving Beyond the Stigma: Systematic Review of Video Games and Their Potential to Combat Obesity

Increasing epidemic proportions of overweight children in the United States presents formidable challenges for education and healthcare. Given the popularity and pervasiveness of video gaming culture in North American children, the perfect opportunity arises to investigate the potential of video gam...

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Main Authors: Stacey Guy, Alexandria Ratzki-Leewing, Femida Gwadry-Sridhar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:International Journal of Hypertension
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2011/179124
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author Stacey Guy
Alexandria Ratzki-Leewing
Femida Gwadry-Sridhar
author_facet Stacey Guy
Alexandria Ratzki-Leewing
Femida Gwadry-Sridhar
author_sort Stacey Guy
collection DOAJ
description Increasing epidemic proportions of overweight children in the United States presents formidable challenges for education and healthcare. Given the popularity and pervasiveness of video gaming culture in North American children, the perfect opportunity arises to investigate the potential of video games to promote healthful behaviour. Our objective was to systematically review the literature for possible benefits of active and educational video games targeting diet and physical activity in children. A review of English-language journal articles from 1998 to 2011 using EMBASE and PubMed was conducted. Thirty-four studies concerned with children, video games, physical, and/or nutritional outcomes were included. Results of these studies that showed some benefit (increased physical activity and nutritional knowledge as a result of gaming) demonstrate the possibility of video games to combat childhood obesity—looking beyond the stigma attached to gaming.
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spelling doaj-art-4e71cbfe0c1943dd9f33ddf09907fa8a2025-08-20T03:36:39ZengWileyInternational Journal of Hypertension2090-03922011-01-01201110.4061/2011/179124179124Moving Beyond the Stigma: Systematic Review of Video Games and Their Potential to Combat ObesityStacey Guy0Alexandria Ratzki-Leewing1Femida Gwadry-Sridhar2I-THINK Research, Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Hospital, 801 Commissioners Road East, Suite B3041, London, ON, N6C 5J1, CanadaI-THINK Research, Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Hospital, 801 Commissioners Road East, Suite B3041, London, ON, N6C 5J1, CanadaI-THINK Research, Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Hospital, 801 Commissioners Road East, Suite B3041, London, ON, N6C 5J1, CanadaIncreasing epidemic proportions of overweight children in the United States presents formidable challenges for education and healthcare. Given the popularity and pervasiveness of video gaming culture in North American children, the perfect opportunity arises to investigate the potential of video games to promote healthful behaviour. Our objective was to systematically review the literature for possible benefits of active and educational video games targeting diet and physical activity in children. A review of English-language journal articles from 1998 to 2011 using EMBASE and PubMed was conducted. Thirty-four studies concerned with children, video games, physical, and/or nutritional outcomes were included. Results of these studies that showed some benefit (increased physical activity and nutritional knowledge as a result of gaming) demonstrate the possibility of video games to combat childhood obesity—looking beyond the stigma attached to gaming.http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2011/179124
spellingShingle Stacey Guy
Alexandria Ratzki-Leewing
Femida Gwadry-Sridhar
Moving Beyond the Stigma: Systematic Review of Video Games and Their Potential to Combat Obesity
International Journal of Hypertension
title Moving Beyond the Stigma: Systematic Review of Video Games and Their Potential to Combat Obesity
title_full Moving Beyond the Stigma: Systematic Review of Video Games and Their Potential to Combat Obesity
title_fullStr Moving Beyond the Stigma: Systematic Review of Video Games and Their Potential to Combat Obesity
title_full_unstemmed Moving Beyond the Stigma: Systematic Review of Video Games and Their Potential to Combat Obesity
title_short Moving Beyond the Stigma: Systematic Review of Video Games and Their Potential to Combat Obesity
title_sort moving beyond the stigma systematic review of video games and their potential to combat obesity
url http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2011/179124
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