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UK Gov't Ad Campaign links early death to gaming

Posted Mar 6, 2009 at 3:41PM EST by Glenn M.

Listed in: News Tags: Advertising Standards Authority, MCV, UK

The last time we had an article on a Change 4 Life campaign, it was when the group supposedly linked gaming to obesity. The ad was fine and I thought that the publishers who rejected it were taking it out of context. This time, however, it seems a little different. Another Change 4 Life ad, printed this time, shows a kid leaning back, holding a PS3 controller and lazily playing games, with a title that reads, "Risk an Early Death, Just Do Nothing." Poking on the same buttons are they?

The ad, which appeared on women's lifestyle publications in the UK such as Star, Reveal, and Heat, is part of Change 4 Life's campaign against increasing stationary or lazy lifestyles, triggered in part by gaming.

The Market for Computer and Video Games UK (MCV UK) has already filed a formal complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority, saying the ad is "unfair and inaccurate." They're now calling on gamers and people in the industry to join their protest. Since the ad appears on women's publications, it implies that parents shouldn't get games for their kids. Fortunately, 74% of parents in the UK believe that gaming is educational.

Unlike the video before, this one has gaming up front, right below such a title. But no direct attack has been made. This is a campaign against "doing nothing" which is a fair campaign with a just cause. The implications are kinda anti-gaming though. If Change 4 Life really blames gaming for shorter lives, then that'd be like suing McDonald's for getting so many people fat.

As always, moderation is key. Gaming is fun, but if you spend all day in front of the tube holding a controller, that ain't cool anymore. Take it easy and go for a walk (not just over to the fridge, please haha jk). Let's not give gaming critics any reason to think they're right.

Via The Escapist

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It's about the child sitting around playing video games when he should be outside playing with friends (being active). If all you do is sit around playing video games all day, you're not getting the exercise you need, and are going to get fat. Obesity is a huge risk factor for a number of health related problems.

# Wrong.. — FatTrousers 2009-03-06 19:29

.." If all you do is sit around playing video games all day, you're not getting the exercise you need, and are going to get fat."

I sit around all day and do exactly that, i'm unhealthy, yes, but not fat and never will be thanks to my ultra high metabolism. Ner ner, get it right next time haaaaaaaaa oh i think i feel my heart palpitating...

# Maybe, just maybe... — ptspyder 2009-03-06 20:36

The UK government should listen to their own citizens. Just yesterday there was the article on here about how 74% of UK parents believe gaming is educational.

Last time I checked, educational does not equal nothing...

# RE: Obesity — Demonsweat 2009-03-06 21:19

WRONG. Most hardcore gamers get so into games they don't bother wasting time to get up and get food. When I was a kid I went full days without eating so I could finish games before I had to take them back to Blockbuster. I still do the same even now, though to a lesser extent (and time permitting).

I've been the same weight since high school (I'm 29 now).

Obesity is caused by poor eating habits and laziness, neither of which have ever, nor will ever, be a creation of gaming.

# .. — Musev 2009-03-06 21:23

"It's about the child sitting around playing video games when he should be outside playing with friends (being active)."

Maybe if the gov did something about real crime instead of worrying only about the little easy things they can get their numbers up by, like driving offences.. there'd be more things for them to do safely outside.

As it stands now I'd rather my son sat there playing games than going out on the streets.

# ... — Musev 2009-03-06 21:25

They were either under 20 or middle aged women thinking of the wii fit or both.

# Larger pic. — ov3rkill 2009-03-06 22:21

Would love to see the whole larger poster/image on that ad.

Anyway, about their ad campaign I don't think so. It's just depend on each person. So, it's not related to gaming. Just the person being lazy and all. It's like a chain-smoker or a drunkard. It's just a matter of self-control and self-discipline.

# There is some credebility to this... — Shatterdome 2009-03-06 22:52

Although it is not directly related to video games....peoples who do not activley challenge themselves do die earlier. Elderly in seniors homes with nothing to do but read people magazine and watch TV die alot sooner than elderly that still have some functioning role that keeps them active and "feeling like they are worth something".

Video games are challenging, but I can see them not fulfilling all the centres in our brain that make us think we are active and worth something. Sorry, but survival of the fitest, and your body knows it....if it doesn't think it's doing anythig worthwhile, you self-destruct....

# ya... — Shatterdome 2009-03-06 22:56

I am with digi....I am semi active, but maybe only averages out to walking 2 miles a day....rest of the time I eat fatty foods, sit around drawing and playing vids....not fat at all. Still I am aware my arteries are probably clogged, heart can't be in the best of shape, and lungs are dead from too much weed and cigs...unless ultra metabolism takes care of that as well ;)

# I like this.... — Shatterdome 2009-03-06 22:59

# amen... — Shatterdome 2009-03-06 23:01

I did the same thing as a kid....should maybe start again. Been buying games and drinking alot of beer, i'm now 10 lbs up from when i was 18 (28 now).....maybe if I rent and stop eating I can get back down to 155....haha

# f — Marmarflam 2009-03-06 23:02

*fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* huh what? *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap* *fap*

# does it really matter — tomdabomb57 2009-03-07 00:22

the whole worlds going down man were all gonna die soon anyway.......

# this doesn't effect me, — the by 2009-03-07 00:43

as i've more of a life than sitting around for days on end playing games.

I've just spent 3 days at night playing KZ2 coz its not been the weather, but i can guarantee that i'll be out and about this weekend if its nice, coz i'm from scotland, and we don't get good weather that often!

I'm a keen amature photographer as well as a gamer so the moral and point of the story, is get a hobby for outdoors as well as indoors!

# eh — NathanDrake 2009-03-07 01:07

'Full days without eating' ain't exactly healthy either...

# *Sigh* — Acteon 2009-03-07 02:02

There's little else for kids to do nowadays since all the parents are working every hour God sends to keep their jobs, thanks to the government knackering the economy and lumbering them with so much debt that their children will be working into their 80's to repay it.

It never ceases to amaze me how the government wastes our money telling us how to bring up our children - I'd like to take a cut of every minister's paycheque and spend it on advertising campaigns telling them what useless c**nts they all are.

# . — DJ PON-3 2009-03-07 05:32

I still eat my full 3 day meals but sometimes I skip due to playing the whole day.

Not even fat, too.

# lol — Navani 2009-03-07 05:35

With all of the diseases out there and new ways to die that come with new luxuries.. I would like to be safe in my house playing my video games than walking down the street and unknowingly walking into a drug war or something. Stop bashing video games. Start bashing the REAL problems. Video games save lives. You are probably 95% safer sitting in front of your television nowadays as opposed to playing at a park, sadly

# ^-^ — xCraftx 2009-03-07 08:53

in the ad... is he holding that ps3 controller upside-down? if so he was bound to live like 10 years anyways for being so stupid

# but — SeRosiS 2009-03-07 10:51

there are exceptions to this rule, many, many exceptions.

There are no standards for human health, it's all personal and cultural based. Depends on if you are naturally big or tend to be as skinny as a twig.

That's why we have these people called "Doctors", they know their *****, most of the time, and I would advise listening to them before I listen to any of these forum geeks or magazine ads.

# ... — fearlubu 2009-03-07 11:37

man these cats need to stop putting the whole Gaming Culture on blast before I fiber wire them AND their family!!

# .. — m3rox 2009-03-07 11:42

You're the one who was bound to live 10 years..

It's clear in the image that the analog sticks are both upside right.

# ^-^ — xCraftx 2009-03-07 14:55

ok fine, low res picture. On topic: I think that is a heck of an assumption to make though? I've been playing games heavily since i was 5 years old, and I'm quite healthy...

# NathanDrake — Demonsweat 2009-03-07 16:32

"'Full days without eating' ain't exactly healthy either... "

That's true, but there have been tons of studies showing that calorie restriction can significantly increase a creature's lifespan.

Taking it to the extreme that, say, an anorexic would take it to, you could cause some serious problems as the body literally starts to digest itself. But probably nothing short of that is gonna do any damage.

The benefits outweigh the negatives here.

# Think Again Shatterdome — jazzero_xp 2009-03-07 18:48

when I was a kid, I knew 10X as much about new technology as my parents....I assume it's not much different now.

Do you think games are educational....the ones you like to play ? Doubt it, unless you really can't get enough of the gimmicky crap they put out on DS. The majority of games though, not really educational at all, cept for maybe some basic problem solving...

Better check your argument before you post it... Basic or advanced, It is educational after all... and hey! RPG games, FPS games and Strategy games... Last time I noticed, it helped me develop my reflexes, and it developed my Problem solving skills... Specially RPG and Strategy games... It's not really basic after all, some games even introduce complicated puzzles... RE, Silent Hill, Final Fantasy, ETC... Games even introduced me to a deeper interest in Roman, Norse, Greek and Egyptian mythologies(Whi ch is also taught in history class)... Some FPS games even gave us Ideas what it was during WWI and WWII(COD/Brothers in Arms, etc)... Some games develop our ability to analyze and our senses...(i.e, Analyzing puzzles, Listening carefully to the Dialogue to get thru a puzzle or chapter, Put an effective strategy to get thru a stage or chapter, and many many more)... I don't see what's so basic about it... I mean, Gaming educates us in a fun way, which Schools and educational institute cannot... Not unless you're too lazy and dumb that you'll get help from Cheat sites, Magazines and GameFaqs...

(Oh! Hey... Doin that, it even Develop our cheating skills...might be effective for exams!)...

Ü

# I agree with DigitalDead — jazzero_xp 2009-03-07 19:01

I play video games all day... But I am not Obese... Yep! I am may not be healthy(smoke and weed)... But I'd rather be unhealthy and live a short life having fun, than a very long life of Boredom...

At least, I'm safe inside my quarters(The government really should be paying more attention to the Crime rate more)....

# Oh Geez! — jazzero_xp 2009-03-07 19:20

Does that mean Artists and Programmers are in Danger too??... I mean, all an Artist does is either draw or paint, Programmers program in front of the computer almost most of the time too... Geez... I'm all three, I'm a paintor, a programmer and a gamer!...

What will I ever do... I guess I have to tell my folks while it's early that I love them... Cause, I won't stop doin things I'm havin fun doing...

# So.... — Shatterdome 2009-03-07 23:31

after you play god of war, you go out and read 1000 pages of books to learn about greek mythology ? Doubt you'd even read 50 pages.

No, games for the most part are not educational.....there are no "reflexes 101" or "problem solving 202" classes in university.....problem solving is a basic requirment of any university course. So, you may be able to find some benefits to playing video games, they are far from educational.

If god of war made you sit through a cinematic of greek mythology and history, and then presented you with a challenge/puzzle you could not solve without remembering or writing down actual "facts" about mythology....than no, it's not educational......making you think about educational material isn't the same as teaching it...

E+MC Squared.....

Now you understand how to propel any object to the speed of light....go at it...

# yup... — Shatterdome 2009-03-07 23:34

a calorie restricted diet reduces the chances of all major health problems....cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart problems, stroke....

it's very interesting....

# OMG — Binary 2009-03-08 06:07

WE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!

-Throws all his games and consoles out the window-

(arnold schwarzenegger act) NNOOOOOOO

# eh — Binary 2009-03-08 06:14

Have the UK forgot about wii?

That makes you DO SOMETHING

# . — The Hof 2009-03-08 14:58

This group forgot about it because it doesn't support their argument. It's just another Jack Thompson-esque attack on video games, and as long as enough people with brains still exist, these things will always be shot down.

# .. — snowman123 2009-03-08 16:42

looking at that kid brings back memories, i used to play ps2 like that...now that im 18 and last year of high school, gaming is now number 8-10 on my list...

don't become a game addict when your around the age 15-18, trust me, i've seen the results, when i was 15-16 same age as my friends, the age they started playing wow (i rejected the game) and now there grades are fail....while i pass. how sad?

now they dont have the chance to go to university.

# lolstice — shiro893 2009-03-09 05:04

@Shatterdome- it's E+mc squared.

But I do agree with you. There are way too many not-really-educational games out there that flood the educational ones. Still the educational ones are pretty useful, such as My Japanese coach, it has helped a real life friend of mine. They should make a My Calculus coach as well, i'd use it.

# QJ... — Djhg2000 2009-03-16 20:23

This is exactly why QJ should fix that "special characters" bug.

I mean, when we can't even write E+mc^2 (E equals mc squared), then something is very wrong.

And BTW, games did help me in history class.

So I guess education is nothing?

They don't even know what they're talking about..

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