New Video Game Tackles Obesity

A new video game called Body Mechanics is designed to teach kids how to eat healthy foods and get some exercise. The venue: Obeez City, where superheroes fight bad guys that go by names like Col Estorol and Betes II to defeat the biggest enemy of them all, obesity.

Okay, does anyone see the irony here? It's a movie and a video game, but it's not as if there is movement built into the game. It's no Dance Dance Revolution or even the Smart Cycle that Fisher-Price is coming out with in the summer for toddlers.

Another irony is that for the message to get through to kids, the game has to be fun to play. And if the game is fun to play, they may be less inclined to get up off the couch and go outside to run around. At least, I suppose, kids may be inspired to reach for some fruit and water instead of chips and soda.

The aim is good, no doubt. And if you think your kids will listen better to a video game than to you or, better yet, follow your example, Body Mechanics is available in a limited release at stores including Target, Walgreens, Borders, and CVS pharmacies. It lists for about $25.

Check out the full story here, and let us know if you think a video game is one answer to growing obesity among kids.