Good news for gamers and parents—playing certain video games could actually count as exercise. New research shows that playing Wii Sports, if used correctly, could be the equivalent of a mild workout.

Sixteen volunteers, ages 20 to 24, took a fitness test to determine a baseline rating of perceived exertion (RPE).  Participants were instructed on proper usage of the game and played various Wii games while researchers monitored oxygen intake, heart rate and RPE.

The study, led by John Porcari, Ph. D., and Alexa Carroll, M.S., focused on six different activities—Free Run, Island Run, Free and Advanced Steps, Super Hula Hoop, and Rhythm Boxing.

Volunteers participated in each of the six activities randomly for 6 minutes. The Free and Island Run exercises required more energy, but neither used enough to meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s standard to affect cardio endurance.  The other activities fell below these health guidelines as well.

All of the activities did, however, burn calories. In 30 minutes, each activity burned the following number of calories:

• Free Step, 99 calories
  
• Advanced Step, 108 calories
• Super Hula Hoop, 111 calories
• Boxing, 114 calories
• Free Run, 165 calories
• Island Run, 165 calories

Although these exertion levels are significantly lower than doing similar exercise without the game, Wii Fit still used twice the calories of other video games. This is enough exertion to be considered a very mild workout.

“I guess anything is better than nothing,” Porcari says, “ but we were a little bit underwhelmed by the intensity of some of the exercises.”

An earlier study showed that certain Wii Sports activities burned more calories.

“You’re better off doing Wii Sports than Wii Fit,” Porcari explains. “In Wii Sports there’s more jumping around, and you’re not constrained by having to stand on the balance pad. I think there’s much more freedom of movement and you get a better workout.”

Thirty minutes each of Wii Sports activities burned the following number of calories:

• Wii Baseball, 84 calories
• Wii Golf, 93 calories
• Bowling, 117 calories
• Tennis, 159 calories
• Boxing, 306 calories

These findings could cut pounds for gamers in the long run, Carroll says, but it’s best not to rely on Wii alone. “Since using the Wii Fit alone may not produce results that meet recommended physical activity guidelines it is important that individuals participate in additional exercises to effectively reach these guidelines,” she says.

Read more about the Wii Fit and Wii Sports studies.

Like chocolate milk and hot cocoa? You could be just two glasses a day away from a healthier heart. New information indicates that drinking chocolate milk containing cocoa could help improve abnormal blood lipid and cholesterol levels, which puts people at risk for  atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Dr. Ramón Estruch of the University of Barcelona’s Department of Internal Medicine was the study’s senior author. Estruch and his team asked 42 high-risk men and women age 55 or older to take part in an experiment examining the effects of cocoa on heart disease.

“Cocoa and its derived products, such as chocolate, represent a very rich source of dietary flavonoids, which contain a higher content per serving than tea or red wine,” authors write. “The health benefits associated with cocoa consumption have been related to their capacity to improve the lipid profile and insulin sensitivity, diminish blood pressure, reduce platelet activity and function, and ameliorate endothelial dysfunction.”

Participants were given two sachets of non-fat, sugar-free Cola Cao, a popular Spanish cocoa powder mix similar to Nesquik. They were to mix 20 g (about 1 ½ Tbs.) with 250 ml (~8.5 oz) of skim milk and drink twice daily—once with breakfast, and again with dinner or an afternoon snack. All participants followed a Mediterranean-style diet, but were asked to exclude foods with cocoa, olive oil, red wine, tea, or fruits and vegetables with high polyphenol levels.

Participants did have a slight weight gain of about 1 pound. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were slightly (although not significantly) lower.  Cocoa did, however, show anti-inflammatory effects. These were modest compared to those of red wine, but significant nonetheless.

HDL (good cholesterol) levels were also significantly higher after drinking chocolate milk.

“Our results suggest that regular consumption of nutritional doses of cocoa may have an effect on all initial phases of the atherosclerotic process in subjects at high risk of coronary heart disease,” authors wrote. “These anti-inflammatory effects, together with other previously reported effects, including those of antioxidant, anti-platelelet, and positive vascular effects, may contribute to the overall benefits of cocoa consumption against atherosclerosis.”

The study appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Seven in ten children in the United States are not getting enough vitamin D, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2001-2004).

Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes calcium absorption, fortifying bones and teeth, and maintaining the level of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.

Vitamin D deficiency can result in conditions such as rickets in children (usually <11 ng/mL), and osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults (typically levels <25 ng/mL). Low levels of vitamin D also increase the risk of bone and heart disease, and are also associated with higher blood pressure and lower calcium and HDL cholesterol levels in later life.

Based on the information obtained from the survey, researchers found that, of more than 6,000 of children followed, nine percent (equal about 7.6 million) were vitamin D deficient, and a greater number were found to be getting an insufficient amount—61%, representing 50.8 million U.S. children. Only 4% received the recommended daily amount of vitamin D.

Children classified as “insufficient” had 15-29 ng/mL, while those who were classified as “deficient” had levels of 15 ng/mLor less. Normal range, according to the National Institute of Health, is 30-74 ng/mL.

The study is the largest of its kind to date, gaining nationwide rather than just regional data. "We expected the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency would be high,” says lead author Juhi Kumar, M.D., M.P.H., of the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, “but the magnitude of the problem nationwide was shocking."

Vitamin D deficiency is more common for female children, those that are older, obese, drink less than one glass of milk week, and those who spend four hours or greater on the computer or watching television per day. African-American and Mexican-American children also had a greater risk.“It’s very hard to get enough vitamin D from dietary sources alone,” says Dr. Michal Melamed of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York.

Melamed, co-leader of the study, attributes part of this problem to lifestyle, recommending parents send their children outdoors. One source of vitamin D is UV-B sunlight, which converts cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D. She also recommends ditching the sunscreen for a while: “Just 15 to 20 minutes a day should be enough…don't put sunscreen on them until they've been out in the sun for 10 minutes, so they get the good stuff but not sun damage.” Individuals with darker skin and those who live in northern regions with less sun exposure should spend more time outdoors.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens get at least 400 IU per day, double the previous recommendation of 200IU per day. Good sources of vitamin D include fish, milk, eggs, cod liver oil, and fortified foods. Vitamin D levels can also be increased with the use of supplements.

The study's abstract is available online, and will be published in September's issue of Pediatrics.

Economy class syndrome also known as deep venous thrombosis made news a couple of years ago when a British woman died after a long flight from a blood clot. At the time one question left unanswered was how often this occurs.

In a new study, European researchers calculated the risk to be 1 in 4,656. According to Dr. Samuel Z. Goldhaber, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Venous Thromboembolism Research Group at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston:

This risk is a tiny risk compared with the risk of venous thromboembolism from obesity, severe medical illness, cancer, or surgery.

Deep venous thrombosis is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein that is deep inside the body. This can occur if a person stays in the same position for prolonged periods; be it on an airplane, in a car, or on a train.

Signs and symptoms to watch out for while traveling include: leg pain, tenderness or swelling in your leg, and changes in skin color in your leg.

While there are no consistently effective preventive measures, you might try:

• Wearing loose and comfortable clothing
• Walking around as much as possible before your flight
• Moving during the flight– rotate your ankles, flex and point your toes, stand up in your row, or walk the aisles at least every hour

Search Healia for more information on economy class syndrome.

economy class syndrome blood clots deep venous thrombosis