UnitedHealthcare today announced at the 2014 International CES
collaborations with Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. and Zamzee to
help reduce childhood obesity through school-based health programs. Both
initiatives incorporate exergaming, which refers to video games that are
also a form of exercise.
Robin Raskob (right), marketing manager at Zamzee and a CES attendee, demonstrate Zamzee's wearable activity meter on Konami's DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition. UnitedHealthcare announced at the 2014 International CES a new collaboration with Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., and Zamzee to help reduce childhood obesity through school-based health programs. (Photo: Mike Keliher)
The collaboration with Konami and California Endowment, which provides
grants to community-based organizations throughout California, will
bring DanceDanceRevolution (DDR) Classroom Edition this year to a
Southern California school. DDR Classroom Edition is the latest
iteration of the wildly popular dance game that has shown to encourage
physical activity among adults and children.
The participating school will use the game to track its impact on
students’ health, well-being and exercise habits. Last year, Konami and
UnitedHealthcare brought DDR Classroom Edition to schools in
Longwood, Fla.; Gainesville, Ga.; and Fresno, Texas.
The second program will evaluate the impact of Zamzee as part of a
childhood obesity intervention program. Participating students will
receive Zamzee activity meters, a three-axis accelerometer that can be
clipped to a child’s shoe or clothing and can measure both the time and
intensity of the physical activity. Students who use the activity meters
can earn “Pointz” that can be redeemed for prizes on the Zamzee
motivational website.
Approximately 60 students and their families in Florida, Georgia and
Texas will receive the meters as part of a broader evidence-based
childhood obesity intervention and wellness program called JOIN for ME®,
which helps children and their parents lose weight and reduce the risk
of many health issues. The Zamzee pilot program will analyze what impact
the activity meters have on the participating students, as compared to
the broader student population enrolled in JOIN for ME.
These programs build on UnitedHealthcare’s deep expertise in developing
practical solutions to control childhood obesity. These latest
collaborations are incorporated into school-based wellness initiatives
organized by UnitedHealthcare and United Health Foundation in
partnership with school systems nationwide.
“The Konami and Zamzee programs teach kids that physical activity can be
fun and enjoyable, while fostering the development of healthy attitudes
and habits that can last a lifetime,” said Richard Migliori, M.D.,
executive vice president and chief of medical affairs, UnitedHealth
Group. “These innovative collaborations that engage young people in
improving their health are important steps toward reducing childhood
obesity in our country.”
Studies indicate “exergaming” has the potential to reduce the growing
obesity epidemic among children and adults. A recent study
by George Washington University found exergames “spurred students to
move enough to meet the recommended intensity criteria for vigorous
activity” and that these games are “a useful alternative to traditional
physical education.”
DDR Classroom Edition is an interactive video game that combines
physical activity with energetic music and visuals. The game and
associated hardware technology, developed by Performance Designed
Products, enables dozens of students to participate simultaneously,
using wireless mat controllers featuring a smart card reader that tracks
each student’s individual progress. While students move to the beat,
teachers receive vital information about their students’ health,
including steps, body mass index (BMI) and caloric burn rate.
“DanceDanceRevolution introduced a generation of young people to
an innovative and fun approach to physical activity,” said Clara Baum,
senior director of strategic marketing and partnerships, Konami Digital
Entertainment. “With DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition
and Konami’s collaboration with UnitedHealthcare, we see the healthy
lifestyle benefits of expanding the active video games, or ‘exergaming’
platform, and making this fun, physical activity system available to as
many people as possible.”
Zamzee is a digital health tool proven to get kids and their families
moving more. A study conducted
by HopeLab,
with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, showed that
middle-school children using Zamzee boosted their physical activity
levels by 59 percent compared to a control group. The study also showed
positive impacts on LDL cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin, key
biomarkers for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The Zamzee program
combines a 3-D accelerometer that measures physical activity with a
website that motivates kids to move more. It is used in clinical
programs, schools and other group settings to help reverse the effects
of sedentary behavior and improve health.
“Zamzee has proved to be an effective tool in motivating, measuring and
managing physical activity, especially in group settings,” said Lance
Henderson, CEO of Zamzee. “Through this collaboration we are reaching
more young people and helping them get and stay active.”
In addition to showcasing Zamzee and DDR Classroom Edition,
UnitedHealthcare’s 3,000-square-foot exhibitor booth (#25515) at CES
demonstrates how the health care company’s health benefits, services and
technologies are simplifying the consumer health care experience by
making helpful, practical information more accessible and affordable
through personal technology devices such as smartphones, video game
consoles and television programming.
“Each year at CES we listen to and connect with our customers. In
response, we are pushing deeper into the digital and online space to
deliver integrated offerings when, where and how our customers want to
be reached,” said Dr. Migliori. “The technology and innovative
collaborations we are showcasing in our booth this year make it easier
and more fun for people to become active participants in their own
health, empowering them to live healthier lives.”
For more on UnitedHealthcare’s presence at CES as well as the company’s
booth, fitness challenges and speaking engagements, visit www.ceshealth.com
or follow @CESHealth
on Twitter.
About DanceDanceRevolution
DanceDanceRevolution
is the definitive music and motion game that combines fun, fitness,
competition, dance and music. Since it was first introduced to North
American video game consoles in 2001, DanceDanceRevolution has
received a tremendous amount of exposure for its health benefits. A
major part of the new trend in gaming that takes players off of the
couch and away from the joystick, DanceDanceRevolution has
recently been introduced as part of the physical fitness curriculum in
multiple school districts in the United States. Additionally, it has
been a part of numerous research studies on childhood obesity.
For more information, please visit: www.ddrclassroomedition.com.
About Konami Group
Konami
Digital Entertainment, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and
manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties. Konami’s titles
include the popular franchises METAL GEAR SOLID, Silent Hill,
DanceDanceRevolution and Castlevania, among other top sellers. The
latest information about Konami can be found on the Web at www.konami.com.
KONAMI CORPORATION is a publicly traded company based in Tokyo, Japan
with subsidiary offices, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. in
Tokyo, Japan, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. in the United States
and Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. in Windsor, UK. KONAMI CORPORATION
is traded in the United States on the New York Stock Exchange under the
ticker symbol KNM. Details of the products published by Konami can be
found at http://www.konami.com.
About Zamzee
Zamzee is a social
enterprise on a mission to make it easier for tweens and families to be
more physically active. The Zamzee meter and motivational website is the
result of several years of research and design based on feedback from
kids and families. The Zamzee meter is sold for $29.95; access to the
Zamzee website is free of charge. Zamzee was established in 2010 by
HopeLab, a nonprofit research organization that uses the power and
appeal of technology to improve the health of kids. Initial research and
development of Zamzee was conducted by HopeLab, with support from the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more information, please visit http://www.zamzee.com.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 780,000 physicians and care
professionals and 5,900 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
UnitedHealthcare serves more than 40 million people in health benefits
and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a
diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.
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