<![CDATA[Kotaku: Obesity]]> http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Obesity]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/obesity http://kotaku.com/tag/obesity <![CDATA[Real Life Flipping is Much More Colorful Than Video Game Flipping]]> Jumping enthusiast Robert Souris recently broke the world record for distance flipping, hurling himself nearly 20 feet through the air while dressed as a superhero of his own creation, all in the name of showing children how much more fun real jumping around is than virtual jumping around. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5818247&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Mario, This is Why You're Fat]]> We know why Mario has a mustache. We know why his uniform is blue and red. These were the most distinctive features Nintendo could render on the character sprite due to the limitations of the Z80 processor, the venerable workhorse of the arcade. And it's the same reason Mario's proportions are a little on the chubby side, too. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5801417&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Can We Stop Blaming Games For Childhood Obesity Now?]]> The United States has been growing increasingly more obese over the past few decades, and video games are often cited as one of the key factors behind this meteoric rise in pounds-per-person. Now researchers say that isn't necessarily true. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5738919&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Playstation Name Checked in Presidential Childhood Obesity Graphic]]> 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 »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5632753&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The WHO Says Games Make Kids Fat]]> No, not the British rock legends, the World Health Organization, which called out video games as a prime contributor to sedentary lifestyles obesifying the planet's children. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5508795&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What If Your Character Was Only As Fit As You Are]]> We've seen the theme before: Video games, forsaking all outdoor activity to play them, can lead to obesity. Recently someone sent me a video, which does a great job of getting that message across. It also reminds me of this idea I had last year for a game that would use over-the-counter heart rate monitors to track your running ability and then port it into a first-person shooter. Can you imagine, a game where your character can only run as fast as you can? A game that would get you to go to the gym to improve character stats. Yes, I know there are plenty of devices out there that try to port over your physicality in real time, but I think the best way to do this is to pop in your real-life stats, so you don't have to be screwing around with weird controllers. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5008299&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kids Can Burn Calories While Gaming]]>
There's yet another study on obesity, children, and video games. Y'know, just for a change of pace. But wait! This one was done by The Mayo Clinic, making it somewhat reputable! And what makes this study different from all the others? Instead of looking at, "Do video games make kids fat? Y/N," the study looked at just how much energy kids used while playing traditional games, watching TV, playing virtual camera games placing the child on the screen, watching TV while walking on a treadmill, and playing a dancing game. The study had a small sample group, with 15 children considered in the "normal" weight range for their age and height, and 10 children considered mildly obese. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=364113&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[British Gov Doesn't Want Fat Kids Anymore]]> Sick of being fat? Well, the British government is sick of you being fat too, and they're not gonna take it anymore! British citizens could soon see incentives for putting down the controller and getting fit. In a report made by the Department of Health called Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives, the government makes recommendations to try and help Britain get fit, including getting the number of obese kids down by 2020 to the levels seen in 2000. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=348541&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[UK McDonald's Boss Blames Games For Obesity]]> While I am positive that at least 15 of the extra pounds on my frame at the moment can be directly attributed to my recent string of afternoon visits to the McDonald's drive-thru down the street from my apartment, but McDonald's UK CEO Steve Easterbrook sees it somewhat differently. Who is to blame for the obesity epidemic?
"I don't know who is to blame," Mr Easterbrook says. "The issue of obesity is complex and is absolutely one our society is facing, there's no denial about that, but if you break it down I think there's an education piece: how can we better communicate to individuals the importance of a balanced diet and taking care of themselves? Then there's a lifestyle element: there's fewer green spaces and kids are sat home playing computer games on the TV when in the past they'd have been burning off energy outside.
More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=342206&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[British Schoolkids Stave Off Obesity With DDR]]> There have been a number of new stories about US schools using Dance Dance Revolution as a way to get kids who aren't into competitive sports or their required PE classes moving - now the Brits are getting in on the act. Despite the fact that the BBC couldn't be bothered to fact-check the name of the game title, they have a short piece on the use of DDR in Bedfordshire schools - they've just done trials, targeting it's use towards girls who aren't interested in traditional sports: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=300320&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Gamers, You Fat Whores]]>
According to a recent report by Agence France-Presse, anyone who is reading this is likely to be a disgusting fatty. Also? A no-good, filthy whore. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=203843&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Wii Not So Great For The Fat Man]]>
Although spritely Adonises such as myself love the Wii, those of us who perhaps do not let our bouncing pectorals hypnotise passing women into seduction may be excused for being skeptical about a device that takes the lard out of their asses and their asses out of a collapsed couch. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=188347&view=rss&microfeed=true