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much more time spent on the games other than with family others in real life

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sleep cycle goes away, making everything worse

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sleep cycle goes away, making everything worse

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sedentary lifestyle makes mental health worse

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sedentary lifestyle makes mental health worse

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Although video-game addiction is by no means an epidemic, it is a real phenomenon afflicting a small percentage of gamers.

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Although video-game addiction is by no means an epidemic, it is a real phenomenon afflicting a small percentage of gamers.

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The article explores one man's battle with video-game addiction, and how he was treated. This is furthered with evidence from both sides (addiction psycologists that argue it exists and those working for the gaming industry that argue its a result of other underlying issues.

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(last case scenario/ solution used if the other two fail)

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(last case scenario/ solution used if the other two fail)

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If the addicted individual has issues with cutting game out all together there are games that could be used to atleast help in the physical aspect of health.

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This is more of a "band-aid solution" than a long-term one. While it doesn't fix the isolation or disruptions, it atleast helps in ensuring physical health doesn't worsen. On the contrary, if the person is truly addicted to video-games and limited themselves to this, their mental health could improve since their physical one is.

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An example of the health benefits from "exercise" games. Another one would be the line of WiiSports and WiiFit games, as they also promote exercise.

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process.

If you're looking to lose weight, playing "Just Dance" may be an option.

The video game involves competitive dance routines that you can play by yourself or with other people. This can help you burn calories while dancing to a variety of popular songs.

After all, dancing is a form of cardio exercise. It's also an excellent workout option, especially if you dislike the gym or want an exercise routine that offers variety and an element of fun and competitiveness.

Each dance routine is a workout, even though it might not feel like it.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at what the "Just Dance" video game is all about, how to use it for weight loss, and the other health benefits it may provide.

" Just Dance" is a video game created by Ubisoft. It's a dance-based game that challenges players to mimic dancers on the screen.

The game has a library of songs to choose from. Each song has its own unique dance routine. The songs are categorized by difficulty, depending on the movements and physical effort.

"Just Dance" has released a new version of the video game almost every year since 2009. In general, each edition features 40 songs by popular artists.

There are also special editions, such as:

"Just Dance Kids"

"Just Dance Disney"

"Just Dance: Summer Party"

To play "Just Dance," you'll need a gaming system like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, or Xbox.

Depending on your system, you'll also need a motion sensor or camera. This allows the game to track and rate your moves.

If you buy "Just Dance," you can also sign up for "Just Dance Unlimited," an online subscription service that offers access to additional songs. It also lets you use a smartphone to track moves.

You can purchase "Just Dance" at:

video game stores

electronic stores

the electronic section of general merchandise stores (like Target or Walmart)

online retailers

When buying "Just Dance," make sure it's compatible with your gaming system.

According to anecdotal evidence, regularly playing "Just Dance" may help you lose weight, especially if you're making dietary changes too.

Dancing promotes weight loss by burning calories through physical activity. And, rocking, bopping, and boogying to your favorite tunes with "Just Dance" can help you burn those calories.

The number of calories you burn will depend on your weight, activity intensity, and the duration of your dance session. According to Harvard Health Publishing, in general, 30 minutes of fast dancing, like the type you do with "Just Dance," may burn:

180 calories for a 125-pound person

223 calories for a 155-pound person

266 calories for a 185-pound person

However, healthy weight loss also requires dietary changes. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. This creates a calorie deficit, which helps you lose weight.

You can create a calorie deficit by cutting back on the calories you take in while increasing the calories you burn by doing more physical activity regularly.

To reap health benefits, the United States Department of Health and Human Services recommends that people age 18 and older get the following amount of exercise each week:

a total of 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity each week OR

a total of 75 minutes or more of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week OR

an equivalent combination of both

However, if you're looking to lose weight, you may need to exercise for more than the recommended weekly amount. You can do this by playing "Just Dance" for:

longer than 30 minutes at a time, 5 or more times a week

a total of 2 or 3 times a day, for at least 20 minutes each time, 5 or more days a week

You can also burn more calories by playing "Just Dance" at a more vigorous pace.

The length of time it takes to see results depends on several factors. Remember, you must consume fewer calories and burn more calories to create a calorie deficit.

As a general rule of thumb, a calorie deficit of around 500 calories a day is helpful for weight loss.

This equals 3,500 fewer calories a week, which may help you lose around 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) of body weight per week. This is considered healthy and sustainable weight loss.

Besides being a form of potential weight loss, dancing is also cardio activity with many other health benefits . Playing "Just Dance," or doing other cardio exercises regularly may lead to:

When playing "Just Dance" or dancing in general, it's important to stay safe. Follow these tips to avoid getting injured:

Wear loose, comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely.

Wear comfortable nonslip shoes that fit properly.

Remove safety hazards like furniture, loose rugs, and cords from the dance area.

Drink water before, during, and after each session to stay hydrated.

Do warmup stretches before dancing. This will prepare your muscles for activity.

Do cooldown stretches after dancing.

Start with easy, simple moves if you're a beginner.

When trying a new routine, sit and watch it first.

Take a break if you feel tired or light-headed.

Avoid intense dance routines if you experience balance or mobility concerns. Start slow.

If you haven't worked out in a long time or have an injury, talk with your doctor first. They can provide specific safety tips for your experience.

Playing "Just Dance" is a fun and engaging way to stay active and lose weight. The key is to play the game at an intensity, frequency, and duration that will help you create a calorie deficit.

To lose weight, you also need to take in fewer calories than you burn each day. A calorie deficit of around 500 calories a day is helpful for weight loss.

Try to stay active even if you hit your goal weight. Regular exercise is an important aspect of healthy living and can boost your physical and emotional health and well-being in many ways.

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Weight Loss with Just Dance: Can This Game Help You Lose Weight?

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process. If you're looking to lose weight, playing "Just Dance" may be an option. The video game involves competitive dance routines that you can play by yourself or with other people.

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"A typical gamer in the United States spends 12 hours playing each week; 34 million Americans play an average of 22 hours per week. About 60 percent of gamers have neglected sleep to keep playing, and about 40 percent have missed a meal. Somewhere around 20 percent have skipped a shower"

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"A typical gamer in the United States spends 12 hours playing each week; 34 million Americans play an average of 22 hours per week. About 60 percent of gamers have neglected sleep to keep playing, and about 40 percent have missed a meal. Somewhere around 20 percent have skipped a shower"

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Jabr, Ferris. "Can You Really Be Addicted to Video Games?" New York Times Magazine, 27 Oct. 2019. ProQuest; SIRS Issues Researcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2314112310?accountid=193466.

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"Video-game addiction afflicts between 1 and 8 percent of gamers, according to estimates published by researchers"

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"Video-game addiction afflicts between 1 and 8 percent of gamers, according to estimates published by researchers"

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Jabr, Ferris. "Can You Really Be Addicted to Video Games?" New York Times Magazine, 27 Oct. 2019. ProQuest; SIRS Issues Researcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2314112310?accountid=193466.

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Raghad A. Jan rj-jan16taibahu.edu.sa ✉Corresponding author.

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Symptoms, Mechanisms, and Treatments of Video Game Addiction

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Video game addiction is defined as the steady and repetitive use of the Internet to play games frequently with different gamers, potentially leading to negative consequences in many aspects of life. As recent technological development has given easy…

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By: Peter Grinspoon, MD, Contributor

More than two-thirds of Americans play video games, also known as gaming. While gaming can be a fun distraction or hobby (and is even becoming a competitive sport on many college campuses), there are health risks that come from too much gaming. What are these harms, and what can be done about them?

Is there anything good about gaming?

Before discussing the harms of gaming, it is only fair to mention the benefits. Aside from being entertaining and a fun pastime, gaming can provide a way for people to interact with each other - a virtual community - as they work together toward completing common tasks. Our society suffers from an epidemic of loneliness, and gaming can be a vehicle to connect with others, including otherwise difficult-to-connect-with people in your life, such as kids, grandkids, or (I've seen this be quite helpful) with autistic children, who can have challenges with traditional modes of communication.

There is mixed research that there are some cognitive benefits to gaming, such as better control of one's attention and improved spatial reasoning, though it isn't entirely clear how much these benefits extend outside of the video game sphere into the real world. Finally, video games have medical applications, such as training people with degenerative diseases to improve their balance, helping adolescents with ADHD improve their thinking skills, or training surgeons on how to do technically complicated operations.

Gaming injuries

Repetitive stress injuries, or overuse injuries, are injuries that come from activities that involve repeated use of muscles and tendons, to the point that pain and inflammation develop. If these injuries are allowed to progress, numbness and weakness can develop, and permanent injury can result. Overuse injuries of the hands and arms are rampant among gamers.

One common example is carpel tunnel syndrome, which many gamers develop. Carpal tunnel syndrome, often seen in office workers, involves inflammation of a nerve in the wrist, which causes pain and numbness.

"Gamer's thumb," which was previously called "PlayStation thumb" (or "nintendinitis" or "nintendonitis" when Nintendo was popular), occurs when the tendons that move the thumb become inflamed. The medical term for this is de Quervain's tenosynovitis, and it can lead to swelling and limited movement. Gamers are also at risk for trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis, which is when a finger gets stuck in the bent position due to chronic inflammation. Gamers can also get tennis elbow, a painful inflammation of the place where the tendon inserts into the bone on the outside of the elbow.

Gaming is also associated with obesity in teens and, plausibly, the same would be shown in adults, if studied. This is due to the obvious phenomenon that if a teen is sitting in front of a screen for hours every day, he or she isn't getting much exercise. The obesity is also thought to be due to increased food intake while playing video games. According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, "a single session of video game play in healthy male adolescents is associated with an increased food intake, regardless of appetite sensations." The proposed mechanisms are that either the signals that indicate satiety (fullness) get impaired, or that the mental stress involved with playing video games activates the reward centers, which leads to increased food intake.

Vision problems are common complaints of gamers. The most common vision problem is eye strain, which can lead to headaches and poor concentration. Gaming has been reported to result in seizures, leading to warnings on the packaging.

Gaming addiction

Gaming has also been associated with psychological problems. It is still an open question whether video game addiction, or internet gaming disorder (IGD), is a unique syndrome. According to the American Psychological Association, IGD is defined as experiencing at least five of the following nine criteria over a 12-month period:

gaming preoccupation

withdrawal

tolerance

loss of interest in other activities

downplaying use

loss of relationship, educational, or career opportunities

gaming to escape or relieve anxiety, guilt, or other negative mood states

failure to control

continued gaming despite psychosocial problems.

According to one study from the American Journal of Psychiatry, between 0.3% and 1.0% of Americans might have an internet gaming disorder. Treatments for this problem are a work in progress, as the disorder isn't fully understood or agreed upon, but can include public health approaches such as education and harm reduction, stricter labeling on the packaging, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy. There are even support groups, such as Computer Gaming Addicts Anonymous, which leverage the power of group support - also helpful in the treatment of other addictions - to the realm of gaming addiction.

Gaming has also been associated with sleep deprivation, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression, and anxiety, though more studies are needed to establish the validity and the strength of these connections. There has also been concern that exposure to the extreme violence that is commonly found in video games can desensitize teens and young adults to such violence, causing emotional problems and even leading to young people committing acts of violence.

Gaming in moderation

As with many other activities that have potential benefits and harms, moderation is the key. Most of the harms that come from gaming can be improved, if not avoided altogether, by limiting the number of hours spent in front of the screen, and by engaging in healthy activities like exercising, or socializing in the real world instead of the virtual game world.

Education is an essential key to injury prevention. Gamers need to be educated on how to protect their thumbs, wrists, and elbows, their waistlines, their emotional state, their sleep, and their eyes. Simple education around taking breaks, stretching, eating healthy snacks, and resting and icing your thumb, wrist, or elbow when it starts hurting can address injuries early, before they become significant. For the eyes, gamers can try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, try to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

In short, playing video games can be fun and a social activity when integrated into a healthy lifestyle that includes plenty of sleep, exercise, and good nutrition, rather than letting the game become your life.

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The health effects of too much gaming - Harvard Health

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While playing video games can be a fun pastime, and there are some potential benefits, there are health risks associated with too much gaming. They include repetitive stress injuries, vision problems, sleep deprivation, depression, and possibly addiction to playing.

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Exploring the Growing Global Concern Over Gaming Addiction

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The Effects of Video Games on Mental Health – Science Technology and Society a Student Led Exploration

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Calories burned in 30 minutes of leisure and routine activities - Harvard Health

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Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness, is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health, plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise, pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.