AUTHORS: Tom
Baranowski, PhD,a Dina
Abdelsamad, BA,a Janice
Baranowski, MPH, RD,a Teresia
Margareta O’Connor,
MD, MPH,a Debbe
Thompson, PhD, RD,a Anthony
Barnett, PhD,b Ester
Cerin, PhD,b and
Tzu-An Chen, PhDa aChildren’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of
Pediatrics,Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; and bInstitute of Human Performance,
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
Although young childrenget reasonable amounts of physical
activity (PA), levelsof PA decline throughout childhood,1 dropping well below recommendedlevels.2–4 The risk of being an obese adult from being obese as a child increases
enormously at 10 years ofage,5 suggesting that 10 years of age isa critical period for
increasing PA toprevent child and adult obesity.
Laboratory studies have demonstrated that the right person can
engage inmoderate (3+ metabolic equivalents),6,7 and even vigorous (6+ metabolic equivalents),8 levels of PA with active videogames. Among
studies under morenaturalistic circumstances, 2 studiesshowed some increase in
PA from active video games,9,10 one showed a small change in adiposity, but not activity,11 and a fourth showed no changes.12 An experimental design with randomization is
needed, addressing the duration of how long increased PA was sustained with the
use of objective measures.13
The present randomized trial assessed whether 9- to 12-year-old
childrenwould increase their level of PA,measuredwith accelerometry, with the
acquisition of a new (to them)Wii console and a choice of 2 (of 5) active video
games with all necessary peripherals, compared with children receiving a new Wii
console and choice of 2 (out of 5) inactive video games and all the necessary
peripherals. The hypothesis was that children receiving the active video games
would increase their levels of PA.