People are getting fat. The media are concerned, don't you know? With waistlines in Western society expanding, some have suggested it's absurd to let children sit in front of television sets for hours, only exerting energy to waggle a joystick and press some buttons. It seems like people going for the easy answer - but is it valid perhaps?

As part of a larger anti-obesity campaign, should videogames be targeted? When is it time to put down the controller and play outside?

Tphi:

Videogames are addictive things. Yet playing them does not make you fat. Children who are left plugged into their consoles in front of the TV need better parents who can tell them to be active themselves. And those who aren't children any more should be smart enough to know themselves when its time to hit the jogging machine.

Videogames shouldn't be targeted, it is those who shape the lives of gamers (parents or gamers themselves) who need a kick up the arse.

Now I shall return to my five hour Mario Kart fest with my king-size extra cheese pizza.

Fanklin:

I already talked about this in the 6th episode of "The N-Europe Show Podcast" so if you haven't heard that yet... go download it now!

Anyway, like was said before, you can't single out something like videogames as a main cause of obesity - there are other factors involved that play more of a major role. Of course the persons regular diet would be what needs to be looked at most.

Okay so while playing games you're not being "very active" but once again in case of children it's the parents/gaurdians who should be there to say, "Okay that's enough go outside and play football" or something along those lines. It's so easy to blame something like too much gaming/films/music for many "problems" but never is it asked "but wait what action did the parents (or the indiviual themsleves) take?"

Arc:

A few years ago in the U.S., a sandwich fastfood chain found some success featuring a man who lost hundreds of pounds eating their sandwiches while keeping up a daily walking regimen. The chain (Subway) still uses this man (Jarrod) in every one of their commercials to this day.

(I'm getting to the point of the question, I promise!)

Americans are probably reknowned for being the nation with the worst obesity problem. Folks, we have a lot of big people here... food excess is a mark of prosperity and part of the culture it would seem. Junk food and fast food in particular are cheap and easily accessible (not to mention easily consumable). Watching TV while chowing down on said junk food would seem to be the favored pasttime of many. Going back to the Subway pitchman, Jarrod, in gaining his previously massive amount of weight he professed to fall victim to this pasttime. For him however, the Nintendo played a major role: when he first received the NES he became so addicted he never wanted to do anything else but play video games...and he always had his hand in the snack bags. He admitted there was just no self-control, he couldn't wrench himself away from Mario and Co.

OK, I've finally touched on videogames... now to my point. Obesity often comes about from a lack of balance in a person's lifestyle. Balancing the tasty, unhealthy foods with the nutritous. Ensuring an ample amount of physical activity instead of spending all day in front of the computer and TV screens. Socializing with tangible people, instead of purely denizens of the internet. Self control.

People need to recognize the need to put down the controller and embrace other, more physical, activities for their own good. Videogames need not necessarily be targeted however: the focus of such an ad campaign shouldn't be so vapid as to go for the classic, unfair image of the pale gamer illuminated only by the glow of his TV screen. Instead, it should focus on the need to establish balance and explore other activity.

Iun:

Frankly, there are too many factors involved in obesity to make an accurate statement. But, as usual, video games and other entertainment media bear the brunt of parents and media ire as they are soft targets without any dedicated mainstream spokespeople.

In theory, games can contribute to obesity, just like more whales in the sea could theoretically contribute to a worldwide rise in sea levels. It may seem like a spurious conclusion, but it is the nature of such things to invtie ridiculous comparisons.

The larger problem is, however -and always has been, the general level of indolence among their parents. If you sit your squealing offspring in front of a television for 5 hours a day and give them access to an unlimited supply of cake, then they are going to get fat.

If, on the other hand, you allow them only a few hours of television when coupled with exercise, then you will see a different picture. The difference is not in the willpower of the child, but indeed how motivated and how strong the will of the parent is to override the wishes of the child and make them do what's good for them.

Conor:

Ah, how tiring it is to observe the masses clamouring around important issues - shouting and shrieking, but ultimately failing to achieve anything of merit. Obesity is a delicate, and complex, problem, and requires a huge cultural shift in the West if it is to be tackled. People are obese for a variety of reasons � genetics, lifestyle, and various levels of hybrids of the two. It doesn't serve any real purpose to grab hold of a trivial related point, like video games, and start demonising it, whether it's violence or obesity, or anything else. It's just narrow-minded.

However, what annoys me as much as ignorant finger-pointers are na�ve denialists. People who can't see that games, while obviously not creating a legion of mass murders, do play a part in the cultural desensitivation of violence. Equally, I don't want to severe video games off completely from the issue, because sometimes they get involved. I'm not going to start handing out "gaming time limits" for a healthy lifestyle, because that's awfully presumptuous of me, and maybe a bit facist � I would've objected to anyone restricting some of awesome, weekend-long game experiences. I used to love sitting down with a new Zelda, or Half-Life, and just... sitting there. Until all hours. I wouldn't trade some of those memories for near anything. And luckily, I have a metabolism like a drugged up olympic sprinter, so never had to worry about exercise too much.

But some people aren't as fortunate, and some people need to think properly about the way they live. Or, rather, the way their kids live. The most important point is: if your son or daughter has a weight problem, don't sit them down in front of the console all day because you couldn't be bothered to be a proper parent. And don't indulge them with McDonalds meals whenever they start squirting gravy tears. Be responsible. Step up. Don't displace your guilt with anger at plumbers and space invaders.

And as gamers, we need to be articulate and intelligent in not only defending our hobby from undue vilification, but from the dangerously blinkered sections in our ranks too. Some of our own are idiots too.

Want to add your opinion on the issue? Hit the boards and talk in the thread.