Video games might do more than get you off your fanny.
What’s the News: Getting in shape with Wii Bowling was just the beginning: scientists are now studying whether videogames that use breath as a controller can encourage healthy habits in children with cystic fibrosis. What’s the Context:
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited, debilitating disease that causes thick, ropy mucus to build up in the airways and throughout the body, leading to serious complications. One of the primary therapies is daily rounds of “huffing,” forceful exhalations to dislodge mucus. Getting children to follow their prescribed therapy, though, is difficult—they’re more likely to want to want to do something else (like play video games).
Biofeedback games, which take an input like increased pulse and translate it into action on the screen, have been around for a while—Freer Logic has a game intended to help kids with ADHD learn to focus, while ...
