Sports science experts at the university want to find out if childrencan lose weight or improve their health by using the Nintendo Wiiconsole, whereby players manoeuvre characters on the screen by movingtheir body instead of using hand-held joysticks.
Dr Michael Duncan, a senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Derbyuniversity, is looking for up to six schools to take part in theresearch, after being awarded a 5,000 grant by the TANITA HealthyWeight Community Trust, a not-for-profit public fund set up inco-operation with the Japanese government.
The Trust awards grants to organisations globally for studies aimed atcombating obesity and other weight and body problems.
The study will take place over a six-week period with children aged fromeight to 11 at each participating school. Half of the children at theschool who are taking part will play on the Wii game during their lunchhour, while the other half will take part in their normal lunch houractivities. Children who take part in the study will be asked to wear atri-axial accelerometer - a pedometer-style device which also recordsmovements such as jumps, side turns and other body movements.
Dr Duncan said, 'There is a lot of discussion that video games are badfor your health, and we hope this research will determine if playing onthis equipment could actually have physical benefits for children.Traditional attempts to engage some children in physical activity arenot working. We want to find out if the Wii can help to inspire childrenwho are not interested in physical activity to be more active.'
Schools from the Derby area who would like to take part in the studyshould e-mail m.duncan@derby.ac.uk.
