Health insurance + video games = "medutainment"?
by Kyle Orland 
{ Nov 2nd 2007 at 10:30AM }
In a trend being somewhat sickeningly referred to as "medutainment" health insurers are increasingly trying to educate their customers on healthy living through video games, reports AIS Health Business Daily. Humana is working with USC's GamePipe Labs to create games about exciting topics like "diabetes, obesity and medical adherence," while Kaiser Permanente has created The Incredible Adventures of the Amazing Food Detective to teach kids not to eat junk food.It's a great idea in concept, but if The Amazing Food Detective is any indication, it's not going to work so well in practice. Shoehorning a blunt educational message into an extremely basic interactive "game" isn't going to get kids (or adults, for that matter) to really engage with their health any more than those cheesy health assemblies back in elementary school did. If insurance companies really want to encourage healthier living through games, they should just let people purchase Wiis with their flexible spending accounts and waggle their way to fitness.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FrankTheCrank @ Nov 2nd 2007 10:37AM
The Wii Fit is going to destroy everything in it's path.
This country, with it's obese population are going to love the Wii Fit...they'll buy it, play with it for a month, and then move it over to that room with the exercise equipment that never get's used.
Nintendo will sell millions of these things, along with systems.
gonk @ Nov 2nd 2007 10:56AM
this shold also be listed under exergaming :)
and I won't get a wii fit, even if i had a wii I wouldn't
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Nov 2nd 2007 10:56AM
Oh my god, I used to work for Humana. This sounds like the kind of thinking they would use.
Donald @ Nov 2nd 2007 11:02AM
If this means a Captain Novolin remake, run for the hills.
hvnlysoldr @ Nov 2nd 2007 2:00PM
They should consider the approach the only really successful medutainment game, the cancer shoot-em-up.
HineyWipe @ Nov 2nd 2007 2:58PM
Eat Your Veggies Achievement Unlocked!
wertt @ Nov 4th 2007 3:06PM
captain novolin is the reason i became a diabetic. seriously.