Today, there are thousands of American children playing computer or video games. Evidence has shown that hours of video game playing have been linked to causing obesity, video-induced seizures and tendonitis. With obesity and diabetes in African Americans on the rise, knowing the physical affects of video gaming is important for every parent to know.
According to F for Fat, in a 2009 report, 49 states exceeded the obesity rate by 20%. In Washington, DC the obesity rate for adults is 22.2% ranking at 45. For obese and overweight children the rate is 35.4 ranking them at 9.
Elizabeth A. Vandewater Ph. D and her colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin in the Journal of Adolescence conducted a survey of 2,381 children ages 1-12. The children’s media habits, body mass index (BMI) and height were all recorded. The study showed that the video game playing was related to the children’s weight gain status while watching television was not. The study also showed that the heavier children spent more time playing videos, on the computer or in front of the television than the thinner children.
Video-induced seizures have too been linked to video and computer gaming. Research has shown that the flickering and flashing images from some of the video games could trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, notes Dr. Douglas A. Gentile, National Institute on Media and the Family. Photosensitive Epilepsy is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space. Limiting the amount of time playing video game or computer games was shown to be a recommended treatment instead of medication.
Although, there have been some evidence of positive affects from video game playing, there are still negative affects. Here are a few steps parents can take to reduce the risk of physical affects caused by video game playing:
Limit the amount of time spent on video gaming and other electronics to one to two hours per day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Research has shown that parents limiting the time and the content of the games their children played, showed that children have performed better in school and got into fewer fights”.
- Have the child take breaks and have the equipment positioned properly (ergonomically).
- Do not purchase video games that have violent content.
- Make sure that your children get proper exercise and are building healthy friendships with their peers
- Choose games that are educational for preschool age children
Resources:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0816/is_/ai_n9772319?tag=artBody;col1
http://www.futureofchildren.org/information2827/information_show.htm?doc_id=69829
http://www.cdc.gov/print.do?url=http%3a%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnccdphp%2Fdnpa
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2009/
Tona Michelle is a freelance writer and host of The Tona Michelle Show
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