OKLAHOMA CITY, Jul 22, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Children playing active video
games do burn calories, but the games are not a substitute for sports, U.S.
researchers say.
Compared to watching television, the calories burned while gaming or walking
increased two- to three-fold. Similarly, high rates of energy expenditure, heart
rate and perceived exertion were elicited from playing Wii boxing, Dance Dance
Revolution Level 2 -- comparable to walking at 3.5 mph, researchers say.
Wii bowling and beginner level Dance Dance Revolution elicited a two-fold
increase in energy expenditure compared to television watching.
"These exer-games are no substitute for 'real' sports activities, but if kids
play them as designed and stay engaged, they can burn several calories per hour
above their sedentary level," principal investigator Kevin Short of University
of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City says in a statement.
"We view any increase in energy expenditure -- calories burned -- as a good
thing, especially in our overly sedentary society."
The findings were published in Pediatrics.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International