One in three children in this country is overweight or obese. Lack of activity is a big part of the problem and the fact that 60% of kids play video games every day is a contributing factor.
 
A physician and researcher at the Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center is trying to find out if the right video game might actually help overweight teens lose weight. Dance Dance Revolution is an interactive video game in which players are challenged to match their dance steps with the flashing arrows on the screen. Fifteen-year-old Justin Fluckiger has enrolled in a study aimed at determining whether the popular, high energy video game can help overweight teens lose weight.
 
“One thing we know about overweight children is that they are less likely than their normal weighted peers to participate in exercise and the reasons for that are many,” said Casey Hester, MD of OU Children’s Physicians. “One reason is they are self-conscious about their appearance and don’t want to participate in traditional sports activities. So the nice thing about Dance Dance Revolution is it is available in the safety and comfort of their own home.” The video game can be played at home with Play Station®, Play Station®2, or Xbox® systems.
 
In the study, overweight teens will come to Children’s Hospital three times a week for an hour of supervised Dance Dance Revolution play. Participating teens are asked to make no other changes in their eating or exercise routine. All 40 participants will be tested before beginning the ten-week program and again after completion.          
 
Justin, who weighs about 275 pounds, said he hopes the program will help him “feel better, sleep more, and run faster.” He also wants to lose about 50 pounds before basketball tryouts at his high school.
 
“We’re certainly looking and hoping for weight loss,” said Hester. “However, we know that being overweight leads to other associated chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. So with sophisticated equipment that we have here at Children’s, we are also going to be looking at body composition, how healthy the blood vessels are, and insulin sensitivity.”
 
To participate in the study, a child must be between the ages of 13 and 18 with a body mass index higher than the 95th percentile. Children with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure are not eligible to take part. For more information on the study or how to participate, contact Dr. Hester’s research office at 405-271-6821. (NOTE: This article first ran in August 2007.)
 
Theresa Green is the mother of two children and president of Evergreen Productions, Inc. An award-winning reporter and former news anchor, she has reported on health, education, and parenting issues in Oklahoma City, Seattle, and Detroit.