America is Fat: We have a solution...

Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year, according to a report released today by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) In addition, the percentage of children who are obese or overweight is 30 percent or higher in 30 states.

Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity at 32.5 percent, marking the fifth year in a row that the state topped the list. Four states now have adult obesity rates above 30 percent, including Mississippi, West Virginia (31.2 percent), Alabama (31.1 percent) and Tennessee (30.2 percent).

Adult obesity rates now exceed 25 percent in 31 states. Colorado (18.9 percent) remains the only state where fewer than 20 percent of adults are obese. The F as in Fat report contains rankings of state obesity rates and a review of federal and state government policies aimed at preventing or reducing obesity. The report also offers recommendations for addressing obesity as part of health reform. Some key recommendations include:

ensuring every adult and child has access to coverage for preventive medical services, including nutrition and obesity counseling and screening for obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes; increasing the number of programs available in communities, schools and child-care settings that help make nutritious foods more affordable and accessible and provide safe places for people to engage in physical activity; and reducing Medicare expenditures by promoting proven programs that improve nutrition and increase physical activity among adults ages 55 to 64.

The report also calls for a National Strategy to Combat Obesity that would define roles and responsibilities for federal, state and local governments and promote collaboration among businesses, communities, schools and families. It would seek to advance policies that:
provide healthy foods and beverages to students at schools; increase the availability of affordable healthy foods in all communities; increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of physical activity at school; improve access to safe and healthy places to live, work, learn, and play; limit screen time; and encourage employers to provide workplace wellness programs.

Read the press release.

Be sure to check out the largest selection of Active Gaming products on the market that help lead the fight against Childhood Obesity and Inactivity in America!

Let Me See!

Cardio is good for our hearts, muscles, and circulation, but because it’s so repetitive, it can get boring fast. People help pass the time by listening to their iPods, watching TV or movies, reading magazines and books, and I’ve even seen someone knitting on the treadmill.

Now there’s a new way to help you forget you’re exercising. It’s known as the NeuroActive Bike, or Brain Bike. It’s a computer attached to a stationary bike, and there are 22 “brain-stimulating exercises” or games, that challenge your mind and memory.

The goal is to improve your cardiovascular and cerebral health at the same time.

This was an awesome demo today! Exergame Fitness will be developing our own bike shortly powered by this amazing software.

A very special thanks to Phil Lawler of PE4Life for personally inviting me to this in-service today! I always learn massive amounts of information from Phil. Stay Tuned!!!!

PS: Check out some more pictures of this in-service that I took here!

Electronic Sports Selected as Finalist in the Prestigious Launch: Silicon Valley 2009 Event Hosted by Microsoft

Company's New and Innovative Active Gaming Product, Called Dogfight Fitness Flight Simulator Selected as a Presenting Finalist from More Than 400 Product Idea Submissions. Product Receives Strong Reviews from Silicon Valley's Top Venture Capitalists, Angels, Executives, Prospective Customers and Media.

Mountain View, CA (PRWEB) June 17, 2009 -- Electronic Sports, a leading industry provider of competitive active gaming machines that make working out fun, announced today the company was selected as a presenting finalist from over 400 product idea submissions at the Launch: Silicon Valley 2009 event held June 9, 2009 in Mountain View, California. Electronic Sports was one of only 30 companies worldwide invited to present their product, called Dogfight Fitness Flight Simulator, to venture capitalists and company executives in attendance at the prestigious event.

Dogfight Fitness Flight Simulator in Action
We are very excited that our product idea is a finalist at the Launch: Silicon Valley event
This is the perfect venue for meeting smart, qualified partners who can really help us achieve our mission of making fitness fun.

Dogfight Fitness Flight Simulator is a full-featured flight simulator interfaced with a high-end recumbent exercise bike that is designed to give the user a wide-variety of workouts ranging from moderate to intense exercise. Dogfight boasts exciting game play while simultaneously immersing the user in stunning graphics and sound; users typically don't even realize they are getting such a great workout while using the simulator.

"We are very excited that our product idea is a finalist at the Launch: Silicon Valley event", Electronic Sports CEO Joe Dean said. "This is the perfect venue for meeting smart, qualified partners who can really help us achieve our mission of making fitness fun."

Electronic Sports presented their product roadmap at the event to a group of several Silicon Valley Venture Capital Partners including Claremont Creek Ventures, Morgenthaler Ventures and HighBAR Ventures. The presentation detailed the product functionality, technology and the company's future plans. Electronic Sports was the only company selected as a finalist in the Active Gaming and Fitness sectors.

The Launch: Silicon Valley 2009 event, co-presented by SVASE, Garage Technology Ventures and hosted by Microsoft, provides the next generation of emerging technology companies with the opportunity to pitch their products to, and network with, an audience of Silicon Valley's top Venture Capitalists, Angels, corporate business development executives, prospective customers and partners, bloggers and media. This is Electronic Sports' first year of participation in the event. A copy of the company's presentation is available for download at http://investors.electronicsports.com/.

About Electronic Sports
Electronic Sports is creating a line of physically challenging and competitive Active Gaming machines to make working out fun and interesting. By using an online social network, Electronic Sport's next generation exergaming platform will facilitate physical competition and interaction between players anywhere in the world while promoting health and wellness. The company's premier product, the Dogfight Fitness Flight Simulator, is now available for sale.

The Dogfight can be purchased at Exergame Fitness USA's official website.

Lightspace Play Wall & Floor Picture Video Mash-Up

Check out the Lightspace Play Floor and Wall system. We took these pictures today in Boston, MA at the Lightspace play headquarters!

Founders of First Youth Interactive Gym Sign Distribution Deal for Canada

Founders of First Youth Interactive Gym Sign Distribution Deal for CanadaDARTMOUTH, NS – Canadian kids received yet another failing grade in the annual Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card: 90% of Canadian youth are not getting the necessary amount of exercise a day. This does not come as a surprise to Holly Bond and Liz Thompson. They have witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of too much screen time and not enough playtime.

The former founders of Bulldog Interactive Fitness, the first interactive fitness facility for youth, Holly and Liz have just inked a deal to become the Canadian Distributor for Exergame Fitness.(http://www.exergamefitness.ca/) With the ever-increasing gloomy reports like the one released this week, this dynamic duo is more determined than ever to convey the importance of physical fitness and activity that includes every child, not just the elite athlete. With years of experience in the Exergaming world, they will continue to work diligently at promoting this positive way of battling childhood obesity and inactivity to schools, community groups, hospitals and fitness clubs across Canada.

In 2005 Holly Bond opened Bulldog Interactive Fitness, the first interactive fitness facility designed exclusively for youth. Shortly thereafter, Liz Thompson jumped on board. Together they opened interactive fitness facilities for youth across Canada. These energetic partners have been working non-stop ever since, educating kids, teachers, parents and community leaders about the need to be more active.

After selling Bulldog in 2008, Holly and Liz are thrilled to join forces once again, representing Exergame Fitness Canada: “We have seen hundreds of children benefit from Exergaming equipment and programming that combines Exergaming and old-fashioned fun and games.” Liz states. “Children are very comfortable in this familiar environment – the video games act as a ‘hook’ to get them in the door and moving in the right direction towards exercise and activity. Once kids take that first, familiar step, it is then a perfect time to introduce traditional games and sports – we have seen how they develop a new level of fitness and self-esteem.” agrees Holly.

Tommy Seilheimer, Vice President of Exergame Fitness says,

“Holly and Liz’s years of actual hands-on experience is invaluable; I mean, they have done it all - from the layout and design to choosing and training the best staff to building programs and camps around the Exergaming equipment. We are excited to partner with them in our crusade against childhood obesity and inactivity.”

Holly Bond and Liz Thompson can be reached by visiting their website: http://www.exergamefitness.ca/.

Exergame Fitness Attends Games for Health 2009

Chicago IL – Chicago based company Exergame Fitness USA, will be attending the 2009 Games for Health Conference located in Boston, Massachusetts. This year’s conference features two-days of talks, more than 300 attendees and 40 sessions provided by an international array of over 50 speakers cutting across a wide range of activities in health and health care. Topics include Exergaming (Active Gaming), physical therapy, disease management, health behavior change, biofeedback, epidemiology, training, cognitive exercise, nutrition and health education.

Games for Health is a project produced by The Serious Games Initiative, a Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars effort that applies cutting edge games and game technologies to a range of public and private policy, leadership, and management issues.

The Initiative founded Games for Health to develop a community and best practices platform for the numerous games being built for health

care applications. To date the project has brought together researchers, medical professionals, and game developers to share information about the impact games and game technologies can have on health care and policy.

In addition to the Games for Health Conference, the Initiative is working to catalog use of games in health care, to assist current development, collect best practices, share research results, and explore ideas that might improve health care administration and policy.

Tommy Seilheimer, Vice President of Exergame Fitness adds:

“We attended the Games for Health Conference last year and brought a very popular Exergaming product called the Lightspace Play Floor. At that time, we met with many of the industry leaders when it comes to using videogames as a way to stay healthy. We also found that the social networking aspect of this summit is very beneficial to our industry meeting with key contacts from around the globe. We are ecstatic to be a part of the conference this year and are looking forward to bringing more products as this continues to grow every year.

For the 2009 conference we are going to have a few of the industry’s top Exergaming products set-up that include, The Lightspace Play Floor, Lightspace Play Wall and the 8 player iDance Wireless Multiplayer DDR System. Also, our very own Dr. Ernie Medina from XRTainment Zone will be in attendance to go over many aspects of the Exergaming industry with key people in attendance. Ernie Medina provides the much needed “medically based programming” for our Active Gaming locations and continues to lead the industry with his persistent approach to keeping Exergaming at the forefront of kid’s fitness.”

About Exergame Fitness
Exergame Fitness - The Global Leader in Exergaming (Active Gaming) Products and Medically Driven Programming for YMCA's, Schools, JCC's. Park Districts, Health Clubs, Hospitals, Kid Zones, Family Entertainment Centers, Casinos, Government/VA and more.

Exergame Fitness provides Facility Planning & Installation, Grant & Funding Assistance, Program Design & Product Training, Turnkey Marketing Support, Free Layout Designs & Concepts, Detailed Programming Curriculums, Finance & Lease Options and more. Exergame Fitness offers the lowest prices on any of the products they carry backed by a 110% Lowest Price Guarantee.

About Games For Health:
Games for Health, the leading professional community in the field of health games, unites the best minds in health care and game development to advance game technologies that improve people's health and the delivery of

health care. Through their national and regional events, as well as extensive online resources, Games for Health brings together researchers, medical professionals and game developers to share best practices and forge new, game-based solutions to pressing health and health care challenges. Games for Health is funded primarily by the Robert Wood Johnson Foun

dation's Pioneer Portfolio, which supports innovative ideas that may lead to significant breakthroughs in the future of health and health care. It was founded in 2004 by the Serious Games Initiative, a project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars dedicated to applying innovative games and game technologies to a range of public and private policy, leadership and management issues. For more information, visit www.gamesforhealth.org.

About Games for Health Conference Sponsors
The Games for Health Conference is held in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio, which has served as the leading sponsor of the Games for Health Project since 2004. The Pioneer Portfolio supports innovative ideas that may lead to significant breakthroughs in the future of health and health care; having recognized the transformative potential of games, its support has helped Games for Health to become the leading professional community in the growing health games arena.

Humana Inc., one of the nation's largest health benefits companies, will also return as a premiere health care sponsor this year, providing support for several conference activities. Humana will present new initiatives from the Humana Games for Health (HG4H) program, which officially launched at the Games for Health conference in 2008.

Additional Sponsors include: International Game Developers Association, Virtual Heroes, Mass Technology Leadership Council, Muzzy Lane, H.I.L. Forum, Business Resource Team, Entertainment Consumers Association, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, Mary-Margaret Network, Breakaway Ltd and MODSIM World Conference & Expo.

Exergame Fitness Catalog (Download)

Download the new 2009-2010 Exergame Fitness catalog. This is the largest and most comprehensive Exergaming catalog in the industry.

Download catalog here.

iDance Wireless DDR System - www.exergamefitness.com

The iDance Multiplayer concept is an original idea from Positive Gaming, created and designed for environments such as Fitness Centers, Schools, YMCA's, Park Districts and Leisure Centers. The Positive Gaming™ iDANCE Multiplayer System offers up to 32 wireless dance platforms for simultaneous play with up to three separate difficulty levels on screen at once.

PRODUCT INFO HERE

The Positive Gaming™ iDANCE Multiplayer system is a fun and challenging group exercise dance game of both perceptive and physical skill. It is simple to learn, exciting to play and offers users a wide range of levels to play and achieve. It provides a wholesome exercise gaming experience for up to 32 players at the same time

For more information on ordering this product, please visit our website at www.exergamefitness.com or by calling 877-668-4664

Exergaming Europe!

See a quick picture video on our distributor from Europe... "Connect and Play!" More information can be found on www.exergamefitness.com (distributor section)

Active Kids Score Higher: More Activity Time Adds Up to Better Learning

Active Kids Score Higher: More Activity Time Adds Up to Better Learning

By Active Healthy Kids Canada

Here's good news for parents, teachers and legislators who want to help kids learn and excel: it's easy as child's play.

The 2009 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, released in collaboration with ParticipACTION and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute – Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group (CHEO-HALO), reveals that children who are more physically active are also more academically fit, resulting in better scores in math and reading, higher grades, greater perceptual skill and overall academic readiness.

"Being active feeds the brain, giving active kids an academic advantage over their peers who are more sedentary," says Dr. Mark Tremblay, Chief Scientific Officer, Active Healthy Kids Canada. "We've always known that physical activity is essential for kids' health and their long-term well-being. Now we know that it also improves school performance. A workout for your body is a workout for your brain."

Unfortunately, this year's Report Card gives most Canadian children a failing grade for Physical Activity Levels, with only 13% of Canadian kids getting the recommended 90 minutes of physical activity a day. The Report Card also assigns an F for Screen Time, as 90% of Canadian children are still spending too much time in front of television, computer and video screens. Also distressing are the grades for Active Transportation (a D, as most families live close enough to walk or bike to school, but do not) and for school Physical Education and School Policy, which rate a mediocre C- and C, respectively.

"Unfortunately, in our eagerness to ensure academic success, we've cut out time for activity in the school day and devoted it to sedentary study," says Tremblay. "But research shows that reducing physical activity does not improve academic ability or test scores. Kids need to get up and move more to enhance physical and intellectual health and success at school."

The Report Card does note that there is some reason for optimism, even with the overall failing grade. The number of Canadian children who are active is on the rise—up to 13% from 9% in 2006. It also offers solid recommendations for how our society can do better.

Teamwork the Answer to Making Time and Space for Play

School schedules are packed with heavy curriculum expectations, parents have intense work demands that eat away at family free time, and governments, as well as individuals, are feeling the pinch of today's economy.

All true, agrees Michelle Brownrigg, Chief Executive Officer, Active Healthy Kids Canada. But there are solutions.

"Improving opportunities to be active is not an either-or proposition. It's an investment with direct benefits that are immediate and lasting," she says. "Helping the 87 per cent of Canadian kids who aren't getting enough daily activity will take a concerted, joint effort."

"Schools don't sacrifice academic results when they devote time to Phys. Ed. The kids do as well or better than they did when all their work was at their desks. Most busy household schedules can find time for activity by simply turning off the TV or computer and going outside. Municipalities can and should invest money in parks and sport¾but they also need to consider policies and by-laws that act as barriers to play in their communities."

Look around, says Brownrigg. See what you can do.

School:

Recognize the importance of physical activity. Treat Phys. Ed. classes as any other subject, with devoted time, skilled instructors and assistance for children who need extra encouragement or teaching. Offer an assortment of activities, from traditional team sports to individual activities like yoga or martial arts. Team up with children's home supports and local community groups to ensure that the message of physical activity is communicated, just as the importance of homework completion is emphasized.

Home:

Parents can inquire about the activity policy in their children's schools and insist that physical activity be integrated into the curriculum and overall school programming. For example, school fundraisers can promote movement with dance-a-thons or laps around the school.

You can also lead the way at home through modeling active behaviour and by scheduling time for play. Though families are feeling the time pinch, TV and computer time in most Canadian households far exceeds the recommended limit of two hours per day. For a better academic outcome for your child, replace screen time with active play.

Get children ready to learn by having them walk or bike to school each day. If your schedule doesn't allow you to supervise the route twice a day, team up with neighbours to form a "walking school bus" or choose a daycare that uses active transportation. You can also emphasize the routine of daily play by packing a skipping rope or ball glove in your child's knapsack, increasing the possibility that recess will be an active time.

Communities and Governments:

Communities are vital partners in increasing the opportunities for active play and for creating bridges between school physical activity and family activity. Supervising school and public play spaces in the hours after school can make investments in park infrastructure go further by increasing community use, helping kids and parents feel safe and encouraged to go out and play.

It's great when municipalities can support active play in their communities through investment in sport infrastructure, but removing barriers to play can be just as important to improving kids' health. Eliminating by-laws that restrict ball playing, road hockey and skateboarding in public areas means that physical activity becomes an easy addition to day-to-day living and part of a community's culture and self-perception. The results? Safer streets, knowing your neighbours, higher test scores in your area and an increase in community commitment from kids and all residents.

Governments can also provide leadership in the area of physical play by putting activity on the public and political agendas. Active Healthy Kids Canada applauds the provincial Ministers of Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation in Canada, who have collectively set a target of increasing the number of active Canadian children to 20% by 2015, and looks forward to noting their progress toward that goal.

Active Play the Essential Ingredient in Better Performance

"When you add up better health today, decreased health care costs in the future and increased mental focus and academic results, it's clear that being active is not an extra—it's an essential ingredient in raising healthy, intelligent children who will be able to guide our society in years to come," says Dr. Art Quinney, Chair of Active Healthy Kids Canada. "We all know that Canada needs people with good minds. And good minds grow in active, healthy kids."

The Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card is made possible through financial support from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Lawson Foundation, Kellogg's and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

For more information or to download this year's Report Card, visit www.activehealthykids.ca.