'Video games may make children fat\r'

'Children drive home been gaining slant excessively oer the last 20 age. In 1980 6.5% of the peasantren aged 6 to 11 were obese, but by 1994 that number had climbed to 11.3%. soon everywhere 30% of children atomic number 18 wakeless, while 17% ar considered obese (Parker-Pope, 2008). What has caused this epidemic the like enlarge in child corpulency? There atomic number 18 many proposed causes that gull been linked to child obesity. However, if we visualise children’s lifestyles over the last 25 years it appears that painting farinaceouss whitethorn be the primary add cipher to the enlarge in weight and obesity rates amongst children\r\nWhen tv risques were first introduced to family households they were considered just separate form of entertainment for children, not unlike radios, leger gamingers, or televisions. However, scene games have evolved into media traps that promote in prompt lifestyles. Children now sit glued for hours to characterisat ion screens earlier than performing sensible activities. In a field of battle researchers from the University Hospital of Zurich present a strong draw between acting image games and obesity in school-aged Swiss children (Edell, 2004). Their research supported the notion that when children argon preoccupied with performing flick games, they are not performing physical activity pursuant(predicate) with a healthy lifestyle. Playing painting games is a sedentary activity that has a direct affect on weight gain in children.\r\n both(prenominal) take that scene games have little impact on child obesity rates because children today are more aware and independent than previous generations. As a result, children are more conscious of their lives and are able to start out healthy choices regarding exercise and painting game performing. However, video games have developed from impartial pixels and basic animation to the advanced life like games we see today. The advances in tech nology have make it difficult for children to stay away from video games, and approximately researchers believe it has psychological and addictive qualities.\r\nThese powerful qualities make it difficult for children to monitor the amount of time they knock off performing video games. In addition, children may in addition find it difficult to pull themselves away from video games in exchange for healthier physical activities. Dr. signal Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University, an expert on video game addiction, believes that the games of the twenty-first century may be more psychologically rewarding then the games of the early 1980s (BBC word of honor, 2000). Subsequently, children may not feel fulfilled until they reach the conterminous level of the game, or beat a luxuriously score.\r\nThe addictive qualities of video games were revealed in a new-made study of children in their early teens. The study revealed that champion third contend video games daily, and 7% played for at least 30 hours a week (BBC news, 2000). Video games are able to capture children’s minds and start the path to poor health at extremely young ages. Dr. Griffiths suggests that children as early as the age of seven are drawn to video games. The strong addictive qualities of video games may counteract a child from exercising and being active even if they wanted to.\r\nIt may be halcyon to argue that the television is the culprit for overweight children. However, televisions have been in North American households for over 65 years, but the increase in child obesity has occurred within the previous 25 years. Televisions have remained comparatively unchanged, but the video game has mutated into an interactive child magnet. Children are able to play on line, play with multiple players, and interact with gamers globally. Today’s video games are also portable, recordable, and are easily rented. In addition, video game advertising is focused at luring and capturing a child’s impressionable mind. Some studies corroborate the findings that video games, not television, are associated with overweight children. Researchers at the University of Texas surveyed almost 3000 children and found that children who played video games were more likely to be overweight than children who all watched television and didn’t play video games (Levin, 2004). Although, televisions have made some technological advancements it appears the attraction to video games may have lead to the weight increase in children.\r\nIt was not long ago when children’s laughter echoed from playgrounds and the announcement of â€Å"car” was heard from children move to clear hockey nets from neighbourhood streets. Rather than playing on the streets and schoolyards children now lock themselves indoors playing video games. Some suggest that it is the lack of programs and kibibyte space that prevent children from being active. However, physical fitness, health, a nd amusement have never been so accessible. Private opening and governments have joined forces realizing the importance of moving children from in arrears the video screen to the field.\r\nIn addition, building developers reach with city planners to ensure that housing designs represent communities with playgrounds and schools kinda than concrete mazes. An excellent example of the cloak-and-dagger welkin promoting fitness instead than video gaming is the Canadian Tire Jump Start Initiative (City of Hamilton, 2005). This private program, like many others, encourages fitness by providing children and youthfulness with access to sports and recreation. In addition, government programs such as the provincially funded Communities in Action Fund post after school programs and sport clinics to youth. The possibility of physical activity is all around us, but video games have made it difficult for children to see international their locked doors.\r\nOf course, it may be easy to b lame the fasting nutrition industry for the weight increase in children. Fast food restaurants have been in our communities former to the 1950s, while the most recognizable fast food restaurant, McDonalds, has been in business since 1960. However, the weight increase appears to be steadily increasing within the previous 25 years; consistent with the introduction of video games rather than hamburgers. Interestingly, fast food restaurants have gone finished enormous strides to provide healthy menu alternatives such as: soups, salads, lean sandwiches, fruits, and juices. Burger King for example, offers products for children that are consistent with healthy dietary choices, limiting calories, fats, and sugar in their children’s menu (Bissonnette, 2007). Blaming the restaurant industry for the weight increase may appear obvious, but upon a closer inspection it seems restaurants have done more to promote healthy weight in children than the video game industry.\r\nMost of the res earch measures any correlation between increases in video game playing compared to increases in weight. What would happen if video game playing was reduced? Recent research at the University of cow measured the effects of limiting video game playing (University of Buffalo, 2008). The university experiment was conducted over a 2 year period and revealed that when children restricted their video game playing by an average of 17.5 hours per week they move their body mass index significantly. In other words, they lost weight.\r\nIn summary, this topic will bulge out many theories and possibilities, but there is no joust that children’s weights have been steadily increasing over the last 20 years. When we examine children’s lifestyles and habits it appears video games may be the primary contributing factor for the weight increase.\r\nReference\r\nhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1036088.stm\r\nhttp://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60891.html\r\nhttp://www.buffalo.edu/ne ws/9197\r\n'