Could Playing Mobile Games Actually Improve Players’ Health?
When we think of electronic gaming most people think of it as an unhealthy activity that should at the very least be done in moderation. However, a new commentary from the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that games could be used to improve disease prevention and treatment.
We have seen increased activity through the use of the Nintendo Wii and similar motion based controllers on the XBox 360 and Playstation 3. The unexpected source of health improvement games is in the development of mobile apps that encourage healthy behavior.
These games vary in purpose from helping cancer patients better manage their treatments, to helping people quit smoking, and even to help people watch their weight by letting your friends in on what you are eating.
While the commentary does point out that additional research is needed to get real data on the efficacy of games on prevention and treatment there is already some evidence that some games on the market are already seeing positive results.
In the coming days we will look at some of the games and apps that are already available and how helpful they may be with improving your health.
