Can Video Games Influence Kids To Eat Healthy Foods?

Training kids to eat healthier foods, particularly vegetables and fruits, is a challening task. But what if a video game can help parents to make kids eat healthier foods?

Eating veggies and fruits is indeed vital to keep healthy lifestyle. By including these food categories in your family's diet, you can also reduce the risk of some chronic diseases particularly heart diseases and even avoid risk of types of cancer.

For parents who find difficulty to convince their kids to eat veggies and fruits, they may consider letting them to play video games. Indian Express reports that a study revealed that playing video games based on a serious theme may promote behavioural change and create specific plans with goals, which said to be has something to do to help kids improve fruit and vegetable intake at specific meals.

According Karen Cullen, Professor at Baylor College of Medicine in the United States of America, they saw there is an increase of vegetable intake at breakfast, dinner, and lunch by using a serious themed video game.

"By using a serious themed video game, we saw an increase in meal-specific vegetable intake at dinner and fruit intake at breakfast, lunch and snacks time by children," Cullen said.

The study about using or playing serious themed video game was published n the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Business Standard reports. The study includes 400 fourth and fifth-grade students who played 10 episodes of Squires Quest-II, a serious online video game that promotes fruit and vegetable intake.

Six months after the intervention, the intake of veggies and fruits among the participants has improved.

What is Squires Quest! 2?

This is a serious themed video game. Squires Quest II is an academic game currently applied in some schools, according to Cleveland 19. The game is planned to be available on the market place in the future. Although the aim of this game is for educational purposes, it also promotes entertainment.