Exergaming Goes Mainstream - Erin Hoffman
While exergaming has been alive in the commercial consciousness as a hot new video game field for some time, the recent crossing of such ventures into the mainstream medical world indicates that exergaming itself may be on the threshold of a new and dramatic step into the average household. Although some independent exergaming systems have been present on the commercial market, sales have been sluggish, as such commercial ventures fall into a gap between medicine and entertainment. With a variety of products available, and all of them expensive on a scale for personal use, the individual consumer rarely knows to purchase an exergaming machine or is able to validate the expense. The solution for some independent health professionals is to centralize exergaming systems into gyms such as the XRtainment Zone run by Dr. Ernie Medina of Redlands, California. Medina's group negotiated a trial program with a Medical-funded local HMO, Inland Empire Health Plan, in late 2006, and in January the program kicked into gear. Through IEHP, pediatricians recommend select patients to Medina's program, and the state-funded HMO provides coverage for the XRtainment Zone's seven-week family fit program as well as four weeks' gym membership. Whereas a home exergaming system might be limited to a Dance Dance Revolution pad, at the XRtainment Zone patients have access to Cateye Gamebikes, EyeToy aerobic games, Powergrid Exerstations, a bouldering wall, and more, promoting a range of comprehensive exercises. The family fit program also focuses on nutrition, education, and healthy lifestyle choices, further expanding its utility and countering doctors' concerns that activity or exercise alone is not enough. A 2004 Harvard study showed that obesity, regardless of patient activity level, was a critical factor in early death incidence, indicating that exercise, though crucial, is one part of a formula for longer life. The partnership between IEHP and the XRtainment Zone is the first exergaming wellness program funded by an HMO. While health insurance has in the past covered physical therapy and stroke recovery programs that utilize interactive motivators, the XRtainment Zone is unique in having a primary and specific game focus as its health premise. With this agreement, IEHP has dramatically expanded exergaming's accessibility and reach into public health. IEHP's buy-in also impacts the games-for-health movement across the board. With credibility and reputation being a key weakness of the exergaming movement – one entirely due to the newness of the technology – an exergaming-focused HMO partnership offers potential validation and research opportunities for the presence of game training in the health field as a whole. And with a recent study by the nationally-known Mayo Clinic releasing results in early January on the effectiveness of exergaming models compared to regular gaming, the medical community is becoming increasingly aware of the advantages of advocating for healthier lifestyles through interactive media. Simultaneously, efforts of such organizations as the YMCA to introduce “kid zones” with an exergaming focus, and Virginia's initiative to move Dance Dance Revolution into public physical education programs, indicate broader acceptance of exergaming as a primary weapon in the fight against childhood obesity.
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