Get in Shape Kids! Mom -- This Video Game is Good for me!

ST. LOUIS (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Video games have come a long way since Pac-Man and Pong. They're more developed, interactive, and the reason our kids won't get off the couch! Not all video games are bad, though. Doctors are now using virtual ways to get virtually any kid healthy.

George Graham, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, says, "It may be a partial solution to the obesity epidemic we're facing today." The video games are being used for more than just exercise. Smart brain games combine brain wave monitoring, biofeedback and video games to help kids overcome ADHD. Patients wear a hat fitted with sensors. They're only successful when emitting the right kinds of brain waves.

Janelle Mathur has ADHD and has tried the video game. She tells Ivanhoe, "I slow down if I don't concentrate. I speed up if I do." the goal is to alter the brain waves responsible for ADHD. Now Mathur is off her medications.

In an effort to help other sick children, researchers developed the game Re-mission. Players go on a mission to destroy cancer. Jeanne Harvey, N.P., from Washington University's School of Medicine in St. Louis, told Ivanhoe about the game. She says, "We always have to try to be creative with teenagers because a lot of times, their reaction is to just shut down."

Kids who played Re-mission for three months knew more about cancer and were more likely to take their medications properly. David Kossow, a Leukemia patient said it gave him a new perspective on fighting cancer. Kossow told Ivanhoe, "You don't really get a chance to actually fight cancer, but you are doing it virtually." Kossow is now in remission, a very happy ending for him.

Video games are also being used to detect lazy eye and enhance physical therapy. Researchers continue to look for new ways to use video games to get kids on a healthy track. But not all games are healthy. A study released in November 2006 reveals violent video games could induce changes in emotional and mental function. Be sure to check the video game rating to be sure it's appropriate for your child.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

For More Information, Contact:

CyberLearning Technology
663 Rancho Santa Fe Rd Rancho Road, Suite 663
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 613-0901
http://www.smartbraingames.com