Video games – blamed for the unfitness of modern youth – may finally be redressing the balance, a major heart conference heard yesterday.
The new generation of sport and fitness based video games – which require participants to use their whole bodies – may be providing unexpected levels of exercise, the conference of the American Heart Association was told.
Japanese researchers, backed by the manufacturer Nintendo, put forward the case that many of the games ensure exercise of moderate intensity – which should prevent obesity and heart disease.
A boxing game is the most effective, followed by a baseball game. A fitness game which requires participants to perform a single arm stand is the most energetic, according to Dr Motohiko Miyachi, of the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo, Japan.
His study showed that about a third of the physical activity games associated with the Wii machine made players reach exercise levels of moderate intensity.
Golf, yoga and bowling were less successful.
The study was conducted using a device called a metabolic chamber, which enabled energy use to be measured without attaching wires to volunteers. Some 12 volunteers, aged 25 to 44, took part in the study.
Dr Miyachi said: "Playing video games is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.Playing new generation active video games is a new aspect."
* The conference in Orlando, Florida, has also heard evidence of the benefits of vitamin D in preventing heart disease and stroke.
Researchers conducted a study in Utah, USA, where rates of smoking and drinking are very low. They found that low levels of the vitamin increased death rates by 77 per cent.
Researcher Dr Heidi May, of the Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, said: "We concluded that among patients 50 years of age or older, even a moderate deficiency of Vitamin D levels was associated with developing coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and death.
"This is important because Vitamin D deficiency is easily treated."
* Meanwhile fighting high blood pressure, tobacco use and indoor smoke from cooking stoves were named yesterday as priorities by a new global campaign.
The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases includes the UK Medical Research Council and major health institutions in the USA, Australia, Canada, China and India.
It said its three priorities are responsible for some 11.5 million deaths a year.
The alliance plans to invest tens of millions of dollars in research programmes.
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