February 6, 2011 | Read Time: 1 minute
While the lure of video games and other digital fare is often cited as a factor that contributes to childhood obesity, a nonprofit research organization is trying to use the Internet to boost physical activity among middle-school-age children.
HopeLab, in Redwood City, Calif., has developed Zamzee, an online game in which participants’ experience is determined by how active they are.
A small device participants can put in their pocket or clip to their waistband tracks their level of activity by measuring both the short bursts of movement typical of young teenagers and more traditional exercise, such as running.
When players upload their data, how much they’ve moved in the real world determines how much of the game they can play, and when they reach certain activity thresholds, they win either virtual rewards, such a new online game, or more tangible prizes, like a Target gift card.
So far the product has increased physical activity by about 30 percent on average, the equivalent of running a marathon a month, according to the organization.
HopeLab has spun off the project as a for-profit social enterprise—in which it has invested $1-million—with the hope that a business structure will help the product reach a larger audience.
For more information: Go to http://www.zamzee.com.
