Usability Views Article Details  home | timeline | recent | popular | e-reports | userati | books | about  Soapbox: Warning - Playing Video Games May Pose a Serious Risk to Your Health (11 Feb 2005) The rate of obesity over the past 30 years has more than doubled for kids ages 2 to 5 and 12 to 19, and more than tripled for kids ages 6 to 11. Last month at a recent pediatric obesity conference, a speaker made the sobering statement: “This is the first generation of kids who are more likely to die before their parents due to obesity and it’s related diseases.” In response to this epidemic, Congress and the Institute of Medicine recently put out a report stating that we will have to mount an assault on pediatric obesity like we did against the tobacco industry. They also recommended that kids limit their TV and video game playing to less than two hours a day. Is that what you, as someone who makes their living in the electronic entertainment industry, want to hear? Being compared to the tobacco industry and told to limit use of your product? Not exactly what companies like Sony, EA, EB Games, and Konami want to hear. Article URL: http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20050211/medina_01.shtml Read 352 more articles from Game Development Network sorted by date, popularity, or title. Next Article: Media: Clickz (be)rates the Travel Industry on Responsiveness and Privacy     This site is a labour of love built by Chris McEvoy