Kotaku: Health

Gamer Dies in Taipei Internet Cafe, Nine Hours Later Someone Notices

Mike Fahey — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST

Chen Rong-yu of Taiwan checked into an internet cafe in the city of New Taipei on Tuesday evening to play popular multiplayer PC game League of Legends. Wednesday evening a waitress found the 23-year-old sitting rigidly in his chair, hands outstretched towards the computer. More »

Scientists Want to Use Video Games to Help Kids' Eyes

Mike Fahey — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

When I was a small child my parents would warn me that spending all day in front of the television playing video games would ruin my eyesight. Today researchers at the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma have integrated computer games into a device that could be instrumental in saving a child's eyesight. More »

How Motion Sickness Can Ruin Games (And How You Can Fight it)

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:00:00 EST

I can play games for hours on end. No problems. Good friend of mine, though, there are certain genres—FPS and driving mainly—that make him physically sick. More »

Mountain Dew Ingredient May Reduce Fertility, Make You Flame-Proof

Kirk Hamilton — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:30:00 EST

If you've ever slammed a Mountain Dew or similar citrus-flavored soda during a marathon gaming session, you may want to step back and re-evaluate what you're putting into your body. A new feature published at iwatchnews.org reveals the history and potential health risks of brominated vegetable oil, otherwise known as BVO, a banned-in-Europe emulsifier that is also used in flame retardants. More »

Stuff Your Gamer Mouth With the Nuts of Destruction

Mike Fahey — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:20:00 EDT

While I'm not too fond of food marketed directly at the gaming community in general, GamerFood has come up with some rather catchy names for their new line of energy-infused nut sacks. More »

How Making Fitness Into a Role-Playing Game Makes Us All Look and Feel Great

Owen Good — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:00:00 EDT

About four months ago I profiled Fitocracy, the social networking/fitness site that seeks to motivate gamers to hit the gym by incorporating role-playing game aspects into their workout plan. Today, Fitocracy and its founding duo received a huge profile courtesy of CNN, and it's making all gamers look better as a result. More »

All of the Life-Changing Power of Video Games

Mike Fahey — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EDT

Video games cause depression. Video games cause violence. Video games are a waste of time. The next time someone pulls out one of these arguments against our favorite hobby, send them to read the stories at How Video Games Saved My Life, and hope they're not sharp enough to refute them with cold logic. More »

Sitting on Your Ass Playing Halo for 12 Hours: The Silent Killer

Owen Good — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EDT

Halo for 12 Hours: The Silent Killer" alt="Click here to read Sitting on Your Ass Playing Halo for 12 Hours: The Silent Killer" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2011/07/small_staniforth.jpg"/>

Chris Staniforth was standing outside of a jobs center, awaiting an interview, when he dropped a pack of chewing gum. When he reached to pick it up, he began to spasm. In moments, he was dead. More »

Tablet Games Trump Traditional Therapy in Treating Autism and Cerebral Palsy

Mike Fahey — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EDT

For decades the traditional therapy for adults and children afflicted with autism and cerebral palsy have remained the same: repetitive activities aimed at hammering home the social and physical skills these disorders make difficult for those afflicted. That's all changing, thanks to multi-touch tablet technology. More »

The Rarest (and Most Touching) NES Game in the World

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EDT

Twenty years ago on Christmas Day, Andrzej Zamoyski and his brother Adam spent the day playing with their new toy: a Nintendo Entertainment System. Andrzej was Mario, and he let his little brother play as Luigi. More »

Life Is The RPG That Ends With You Die. So How About Earning Points And Tracking It?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Okay, maybe life isn't the best role-playing game, but it's pretty damn important. And that's why San Francisco start-up GreenGoose created lifestyle platform to track it. More »

Doctor Worries That 3DS Will Turn Children Cross-Eyed

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 06:30:00 EST

To achieve the effect of 3D, the Nintendo 3DS fools the brain into combining two images into a single one, thereby creating the appearance of 3D. One Japanese eye doctor is worried about this. More »

Distracted Ten-Year-Old Games Himself Off A Railway Platform

Mike Fahey — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:20:00 EST

A ten-year-old boy in Italy is saved from possible death by a heroic off-duty policeman after walking off a railway platform while playing his PSP. This is why we do not walk and game at the same time. More »

Three Hours Or 30 Minutes, What's The Right Daily Dose Of Gaming For Kids?

Stephen Totilo — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST

In one frame, a mom who cut her kids off from video games and other electronics for six months. In the right frame, a game designer who says kids benefit from up to three hours of gaming a day. More »

Halo's Effect On The Human Heart

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST

The ups and downs of Halo: Reach multiplayer... how do they affect the human heart? One player decided to monitor his heartbeat during a six minute game session to track the effects of Xbox Live on the old ticker. More »

Nintendo Is Covering Its Ass With 3DS Warnings

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:00:00 EST

While doctors say the Nintendo 3DS won't melt children's eyes (and is possibly beneficial!), Nintendo is standing by its warning about the upcoming 3D-glasses-free portable gaming device. More »

Doctors Say The 3DS Is Safe, Potentially Beneficial To Children

Mike Fahey — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:20:00 EST

Nintendo warned that its new 3DS portable gaming system might have negative effects on young children's vision. Now the American Optometric Association steps forward to say that using 3D technology could have a positive effect on children's eyesight. How so? More »

You Don't Need Two Arms To Play Kinect

Mike Fahey — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:20:00 EST

Chris Erickson's brother found himself without the use of his right arm following a tragic accident, but that hasn't stopped him from enjoying Xbox 360 Kinect games. More »

She's 43, Has Two Kids And Is Ready To Exercise

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Over 8 years ago, South Korean fitness guru Jung Da-Yeon was not a fitness guru. She was out of shape. She's now built a fitness empire that has even made waves in Japan. More »

How Health Works In Diablo III

Mike Fahey — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EDT

Think you can just stock up on healing potions to keep your character alive in Diablo III? Think again. Blizzard has released an in-depth guide to how health and healing help promote strategic play in the eagerly anticipated sequel. More »

Playstation Name Checked in Presidential Childhood Obesity Graphic

Brian Crecente — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:40:00 EDT

The winner of best overall infographic for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign includes the release and successes of the Playstation in its timeline charting the growth of childhood obesity. More »

Need A Reason To Stay Inside? Beaches Make You Sick

Mike Fahey — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EDT

Science justifies the reclusive nature of hardcore gamers during these hot summer months, as a new study finds that people actively participating in beach-based activities are more likely to develop gastrointestinal problems, fever, and skin illness. Who's for beach volleyball? More »

Teaching Girls How To Handle Peer Pressure About Sex

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EDT

On July 26, University of Central Florida was awarded a $434,800 National Institutes of Health grant to develop a game to promote abstinence among Latina middle school students, reports the Orlando Business Journal. More »

Study Says Kids Likely to Play Video Game Sports in Real Life

Owen Good — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT

Duh, you say. Well, the usefulness of the report suggests that playing video games ain't entirely sedentary, and aren't a threat to actual exercise. Ah, now do you see? Sports games are our friends. More »

Mario Kart Saved My Eyesight

Owen Good — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:20:00 EDT

Mario Kart Saved My Eyesight" alt="Click here to read Mario Kart Saved My Eyesight" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/01/small_c359c59c0c9995121ba08af5a4299769.jpg"/>

A British youth overcame what is called "lazy eye syndrome" thanks to a doctor's prescription of Mario Kart DS, restoring his right eye from "near blindness" to a 250 percent improvement. More »

Study of Gamers' Posture Returns Predictable Results

Owen Good — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:30:00 EDT

Though I mostly game in my office chair, little of that is upright against the seatback, with my feet on the floor. A study of kids' gaming postures finds they go to full-on slouch in as little as five minutes. More »

IGDA Teams with USDA to Make Some Choice Games

Owen Good — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:30:00 EDT

Sometimes, games and the government are capable of doing things together other than antagonizing each other. Take the six "Game Jams" going on in two weeks, pairing developers with kids to brainstorm some games that reinforce healthy eating habits. More »

Now Video Games Cause Tooth Decay

Mike Fahey — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:40:00 EDT

Various scientific and medical studies performed over the past few years have shown video games to cause violent behavior, obesity, and crooked fingers among young people, but at least we still have our teeth - or do we? More »

Five Health Care Games to Make You Healthy (Or Get You Sick)

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:00:00 EDT

In the United States, health care has passed. Some people are pleased, some are not and others are even indifferent. So let's talk about video games! More »

Microsoft Patents the Exercise Guilt Trip

Owen Good — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

Microsoft's filed a patent that would make avatars more realistic and less idealized, with the point of getting your husky ass out to exercise if what you're seeing in the dashboard is a more realistic presentation of yourself. More »

Have We Reached Exercise Game Saturation?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:05 EDT

Get up off your ass. Move, move, move. It's summertime! No need to go outside. Video games can help you become active and maybe even lose weight. This is hardly new, but have we reached saturation? More »

Swine Flu Threatens Thailand's Gaming Centers

Mike Fahey — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EDT

Fears that Thailand's online gaming shops could be a major hub for swine flu transmission were realized this week, as a computer game shop employee became virus' 17th Thai victim. More »

Jumpstart Your Heart With A Wii Remote

Mike Fahey — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:40:00 EDT

Can the Wii remote save lives? The American Heart Association is betting on it, pledging $50,000 to fund a student project that uses Nintendo's TV killer to teach CPR. More »

DS Plugin to Help Diabetic Kids Keep Consistent Readings

Owen Good — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Pharma firm Bayer has created a DS plug-in built on the idea that diabetic kids typically lose track of no-fun things like glucose meters, but rarely lose fun things like gaming handhelds. More »

Obama Maybe Not So Gamer Friendly After All

AJ Glasser — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:30:00 EDT

In a speech to the American Medical Association, President Obama listed video games as health concern — a challenge to Entertainment Software Administration president Mike Gallagher's statement that the Obama administration was game-friendly. More »

Gaming Instead Of Sleeping Makes You Tired

Mike Fahey — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:20:00 EDT

A research study at the University of Arkansas has indicated that excessive gaming interferes with sleep. Thank goodness that mystery has finally been solved. More »

Warning: Punch-Out Boxer Shorts Could Be Hazardous To Your Health

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:30:00 EDT

Did you get hold of one of those Punch-Out "Heavyweight Contender Kits" from Amazon? We hope, for your sake, that you planned on displaying those King Hippo shorts, and not actually wearing them. More »

UK Change4Life Campaign Changes Its Tune

Mike Fahey — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Criticized in March for ads that equated playing video games with an early death, a new commercial for the UK government's Change4Life campaign promotes healthy gaming. More »

Sony Ponders Suing Over UK Early Death Ad

Mike Fahey — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:20:00 EDT

The UK's Change4Life campaign, which links playing video games with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, could draw legal fire from Sony for using a PlayStation-like controller in their print ad. More »

Celebrate The Resident Evil 5 Launch With A Bloodletting

Mike Fahey — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:20:00 EST

If you'll be in the Los Angeles area on March 13th and have some spare blood lying around, stop by Capcom's Resident Evil 5 Blood Drive to exchange plasma for prizes. More »