Promoting Health and Fitness Through Exergames: A Content Analysis of Wii Fit

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis: In an age where a child’s world is inundated with technology, it’s no wonder they grow up with an insatiable desire for the latest electronic gadgets and gizmos. But can the rise in video game activity be linked to the fact that childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years? Or alternatively, could video games be both a cause of—and potential solution to—America’s obesity epidemic? Health promotion and communication experts are starting to look to the appealing and addicting nature of video games as a way to help increase physical activity for youth.

Methods: The purpose of this study is to examine the use of video games for health promotion, specifically in the area of childhood obesity prevention and treatment. First, e-health is defined and literature on video game use within the health promotion context is reviewed. The author then conducts a content analysis of a popular physically-active video game, or “exergame,” Nintendo’s Wii Fit.

Results: After two hours of game-play, almost 500 phrases were captured, and about eight different themes emerged, showcasing the high level of health message tailoring, interactivity, guidance and feedback that the Wii Fit provides. The themes that emerged  included (1) greetings and salutations, (2) health information-seeking questions, (3) activity and test results, (4) safety reminders and warnings, (5) encouragement and congratulations, (6) negative feedback, (7) game and activity instructions, (8) and general health information and tips.

Conclusions: It is up to health communication and promotion experts to craft messages that when inserted into the e-health environment and physically-active video games lead to effective behavior change.

Implications for research and/or practice: Exergames are likely to be a big part of the future of physical activity for youth, and related accessibility concerns will need to be addressed; however, if we can provide kids with access to exergames, such as virtual bowling, skiing and dance competitions, video games might ironically be a solution to the youth obesity epidemic.