If your adolescent children play video games for more than 10 hours a week, it could have a significant impact on their diet, sleep and body weight. According to a study published in the ‘Journal of Public Health’, overweight children spend more time playing videogames than children who are not overweight. However, active videogames may be an option to promote healthy living among them. Playing exergames can result in an increased heart rate, oxygen consumption and energy expenditure. Notes research that appears in the journal ‘Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking’, active videogames increase physical activity levels in children and adolescents sufficiently to produce healthy benefits. Since most adolescents don’t enjoy physical exercise, using screen time to help them lose weight and get healthy seems like a good way out. Exergaming can be used either as a part of a weight management regimen or by itself. A holistic approach, that also incorporates other behavioural changes, would be ideal.
