Degree Name
Master of Science
Department or Program
Mass Communication and Media Arts
Advisor
Hochheimer, John L
Abstract
AN ABSTRACT OF THE MASTERS PROJECT OF
BADRINARAYANAN RAMAKRISHNAN, for the MASTER OF SCIENCE degree
in MASS COMMUNICATION & MEDIA ARTS, presented on April 11, 2011 at
Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
TITLE: THE RISE OF EXER-GAMING
MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. John Hochheimer
This paper looks at childhood obesity in the United States of
America, its causes, and various intervention methods as well as videogames
that have been employed in the fight against obesity through the emergence of
physically engaging games. While childhood obesity is spreading fast, its effects
are devastating. Illnesses and other conditions previously seen only in adults are
now occurring more frequently in children. Though the Center for Disease
Control has made recommendations and tried to educate children about a
healthy diet and regular physical activity, obesity remains a threat to health.
Though a combination of diet and physical activity are the recommended
intervention criteria, the importance of physical activity has been realized in many
studies. But, even here many studies only reached near significant changes in
their interventions due to adherence issues. Videogames games help in burning
calories and also in increasing physical activity levels in children, since these
games engage players physically. Adherence issues are solved using the help of
“exergames”, as they hide exercise behind a layer of fun. These exergames are
seen as a genre of videogames rather than a novel way to play (i.e. a
ii
replacement of the traditional videogame controller) and need to expand from
only one kind of videogame title.