Healthy Screen Time: How Exergaming Fights Childhood Obesity and Boosts Mental Health

In an age where video games are a primary form of entertainment for many children, the concept of "exergaming" – video games that require movement – has emerged as a game-changer in the fight against childhood obesity. Once blamed for keeping kids sedentary, video gaming systems like Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Switch are now being looked at as ways to increase physical activity.

Leading childhood obesity researchers, including Dr. Amanda Staiano and her team at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, have spent years studying how exergaming can help kids move more and positively impact their mental health. Let’s take a look at the findings and how exergaming can make a big difference in the health of kids and teens.

Exergaming: A Fun Path to Fitness

One of the best things about exergaming is its ability to turn exercise into a game. Studies led by Dr. Staiano and colleagues reveal that kids can burn as much energy exergaming that is equivalent to moderate physical activity.^{1,2 1}

Exergames can provide a convenient indoor option for physical activity when going outdoors is not possible because of the weather, safety concerns, or lack of space or facilities. Some kids prefer playing these games when they are not otherwise engaged in competitive sports or have the financial resources to sign up for sports teams. Dr. Staiano’s work focuses on using exergames as one tool within a physical activity program – kids are taught that exergames can be one tool as they work towards meeting physical activity goals to become more active both indoors and outdoors throughout their daily routines.

But exergaming doesn’t just get kids moving, it can also be a tool to help make lasting impacts on their health. Dr. Staiano has developed the “GameSquad” program that encourages kids to exergame, talk regularly to an online virtual health coach, and track their steps using a Fitbit. In these programs, kids are encouraged to build towards the recommendation of 1 hour of daily physical activity, and they can use exergames as one of many strategies to help them reach this goal. This GameSquad program, funded by the American Heart Association, was shown in a randomized controlled trial to help kids lower their body mass index (BMI), improve their heart health (blood pressure and cholesterol), and get more physical activity overall over a 6-month period.² This makes exergaming a fun and easy way to help kids stay healthy when done as part of a structured, supervised health promotion program.

Further, Dr. Staiano works with researchers who have used her GameSquad program for youth and young adults with psychiatric and neurocognitive diversity. For example, she recently worked with a team at University of Kansas Medical Center to adapt GameSquad for young adults with Down syndrome. A small pilot study showed that the young adults had high attendance and adherence to the exergaming sessions and meeting with their virtual health coach, with participants achieving and maintaining moderate-intensity levels during exergame sessions. Exergaming offers a feasible and acceptable home-based approach for adults with Down syndrome to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.³

Dr. Staiano and her colleague Dr. April Bowling of Merrimack College have also modified GameSquad to create the GamerFit program, which is tailored to youth with autism and other psychiatric and neurodevelopmental differences. A small pilot trial, the GamerFit-ASD, demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and accessibility for youth aged 10–15 years with autism spectrum disorder.⁴ This study led to a larger trial funded by the National Institutes of Health where Dr. Staiano and Dr. Bowling created an app to house the program components for youth, tailored for youth with heterogeneous diagnoses such as autism, ADHD, anxiety, and/or depression. The “GamerFit” app allowed youth to access the exergaming program, talk with their virtual health coach about their physical activity and sleep, log their mood and health behaviors, sync with their Fitbit to track their steps, and even access TikTok-style videos to learn strategies and routines to help improve their physical activity levels and sleep hygiene. Housing all of the intervention components into the app was designed to make it easy for youth and their parents to follow the program. Results of this exciting study will be released later this year!

Mental Health Benefits of Exergaming

Exergaming isn’t just good for the body – it’s good for the mind. Studies led by Dr. Staiano show that playing these games can help kids reduce peer conflict and keep them motivated.^5,6,7 A study conducted by Dr. Staiano and her colleagues at Georgetown University had high school students play exergames at school throughout a school year and showed that the exergaming helped kids build better relationships and feel more confident about themselves.⁶

Physical activity improves when exergames are played with friends or family too. Kids who play these games with others tend to move more and burn more energy.⁷ Social gaming creates a sense of teamwork and competition that keeps kids engaged.

Exergaming and Brain Power

Interestingly, exergaming may also help with brain development. Competitive exergame play has been linked to improvements in executive function (EF) skills including attention, inhibition, and memory. Dr. Staiano’s research shows that exergaming may be helpful for boosting these skills in adolescents who play the games even for short bouts.⁸

The Future of Exergaming and Childhood Obesity Prevention

Exergaming is a creative and effective way to help kids stay physically and mentally healthy, especially when played as part of a structured, supervised physical activity program. By making exercise fun, these games help fight against childhood obesity and sedentary habits. With more research and new ideas, exergaming could become a big part of how we keep kids active and healthy in the future.

Pennington Biomedical’s Greaux Healthy initiative is working to bring more resources and games to kids across the state. Sign up for our newsletter to learn about new discoveries and available resources!