NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, October 3, 2016

Augmented reality game Pokemon Go, which took the world by storm, seems to have found an unlikely supporter in the medical fraternity. Banned by parents for the longest time, games like Pokemon Go, played on the smartphone, could actually be beneficial as it encourages a physical activity regimen combined with fun, a study shared exclusively with TOI says.

With these newer apps which include gaming, the motivation to exercise and follow the regimen over a period of time could be beneficial in lowering obesity or diabetes in kids and young adults, says the study to be published in the US journal Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics. In Pokemon Go, a game available on mobile devices, the search is for virtual reality creatures (Pokemons) who appear in real-world locations and landmarks. It is already the highest grossing game in the US and several countries.

The effect of a physical activity regimen combined with fun games like Pokemon Go, ‘Zombies, Run!’, ‘Ingress’ and ‘7 Minute Superhero Workout’, as against computer games or video game consoles, should be researched scientifically on outcomes like weight loss and prevention of diabetes, co-author of the study, Dr Anoop Misra, told TOI. Till now, there was hardly any scientific evidence to suggest that these games may be good for obesity and prevention of diabetes. Dr Amerta Ghosh of Delhi-based Fortis CDOC Hospital is the other author.