UK 'Change4Life' ad campaign attacks gamers

It does, I'm dead. Happened just now. And to think I use to be just an innocent little boy like that one in the ad.

Reading does is bad for you? Apparently videogames and reading make you stupid as well. I fail.

Yep, just got killed too.
Damn you written word!

Right! They could have just as easily shown a kid sleeping... "What are you just going to lay around your whole life!?!?!?"

Now that kid, is most clearly, living life to the fullest. Would be a great centerpiece for a counter-ad campaign "Embrace Life (and a bag of chips) to the Fullest"

I'm pretty sure that kid is eating a bag of Tim's Cascade chips. For that reason alone, he is now a bad ass in my eyes.

I like the cut of your jib.

It makes sense! Once I have a stroke, I can play LoZ Ocarina of Time without memory of the thousand of times I played before. It will be epic!

Shame about my messed up motor impairment though...

I like the jib of his cut.

I like your comments about my cuts and jibs.

First PlayStation palmar hidradenitis and now obesity. The UK is a bunch of fanboys.

Just got a bigger image in from the MCV author (thus the small image in the header). Here's a link, just for you!

http://media.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/03/gamesarekillingyou.jpg

For my other fatty friends:

"9 out of 10 kids risk growing up to have unhealthy amounts of fat in their bodies. Even if you think they look healthy today, adulthood could bring an early death from heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, or cancer.

So make sure your kids are active for an hour a day. Reduce how much fat they eat. For help and advice visit 4yourkids.org.uk"

Thanks, Ben!

Actually, teen pregnancy has recently been linked with explicit lyrics in songs. I haven't heard another peep over that one...

hah! Exactly. That's just what I think when I see the adverts - no, keep letting your vile sprogs vegetate in front of the PlayStation! That way when they try to mug me I can run away and laugh at their failed attempts to keep up.

as for all the 'waaaaaah they are saying bad things about gaming' responses to this post - puh-leeze. You're all talking bollocks. Of course video games are part of the problem, in that games give kids a reason to stay inside rather than running around outside playing games with their friends. When I was a kid I used to play tennis and ball games on the street, hide and seek, etc. Frankly video games are much more fun, so no wonder today's kids don't bother.

Games are only part of the problem, there are other big reasons why children's activity is restricted - two (linked) of the biggest are parental paranoia, and the get-driven-everywhere car culture. And then of course there are the reasons kids eat too much shitty food as well, which is a separate issue and probably almost as important.

But to get all stressed about an ad which is frankly slightly amusing and not particularly controversial just because it happens to make a minor attack on your own personal sacred cow, gaming? Weak. Learn some perspective, people.

I've just launched a campaign against this kind of sloppy, lazy, stereotypical approach from the government. If you agree:
- join the Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=54213654309)
- Twitter your opposition (just twitter: RT #change4life reckons the games industry is the cause of obesity despite no evidence #fail http://bit.ly/yrpS
- visit http://www.gamesbrief.com/2009/03/risk-an-early-death-do-nothing-change4life-puts-the-boot-into-the-games-industry/ for more info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwGP9DAAi4A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtXaRE1Jz2M

The problem is not with parents not paying attention to their kids. Most parents do. In fact, with the huge popularity of videogames, I think it's safe to say the vast majority of parents do all the things that they are supposed to, or else we'd all be fat.

The problem here is that there are way too many factors involved in the causes of increased childhood obesity levels. You can blame lack of afterschool programs, the value menus at fast food joints, etc, as much as video games.

Dont blame "Parents" for being the problem here. It's more like a combination of many different factors that is the cause of SOME KIDS being out of shape. The same way you blame parents for being the cause is the same method of reasoning that led to this campaign.

"vast majority of parents do all the things that they are supposed to, or else we'd all be fat." No.

"Dont blame "Parents" for being the problem here." wut

You. Are. Wrong. That is all.

yeah sadly parents don't even read the labels on the stuff they eat themselves, they just assume if its targeted for kids, its kid approved.

also temper tantrum!??? have they tried beating his ass? that'll stop any sort of "temper tantrum". probably for good.

Red Dog Melvin,

There are children who are overweight or obese for any number of medical reasons. I have one female friend who weighs 300+ lbs because the medication she took as a toddler to stop the grand mal seizures that were slowly killing her had the unfortunate side effect of screwing with her endocrine system; no matter how much she exercises or diets, she'll never lose her weight because the system responsible for maintaining her metabolic rate is permanently FUBARed. It's unfortunate, but hardly blame worthy and a fair trade in the grand scheme of things. I'm sure she'd much rather be overweight and alive instead of being thin yet lying in a casket. Having said that, you can't honestly sit there and tell me that external factors beyond the medical or pharmaceutical are the only reasons behind the growing number of overweight or obese children. Face it, people today are leading an increasingly sedentary lifestyle made that much worse by piss poor eating habits they refuse to change.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to the blame the parents who'll give their son or daughter a box of cookies and plant them in front of a TV for 6 hours so they don't actually have to fulfill their obligations when it comes to child rearing. I have every right to blame parents who give into their children's demands and throw any number of sweets in their direction because they don't want to say "No, you can't have them" and potentially have to issue some form of discipline. I'm going to blame parents who downplay exercise in any form simply because they might've had a poor time in PE when they were growing up.

I'm not going to blame external factors like a fast food restaurant, TV, or a videogames because all of those things enter one's life through CHOICE. If your child is morbidly obese at the age of 12 because you gave him nothing but fast food because it was cheaper and easier than cooking, his or her weight problem's WOULD BE YOUR FAULT. If your child's out of shape because you planted him in front of the boob tube with his favorite show, movie, or game because you really couldn't be bothered being involved in his life, THAT'S YOUR FAULT. If he's a little hellraiser because the word "discipline" is noticeably absent from your vocabulary or practice, IT'S YOUR FAULT AS A PARENT.

It's just like how I have no sympathy or pity for someone that's overweight because all they eat is fast food; McDonald's might be selling it, but you made the conscious decision to put their product(s) into your body instead of cooking or preparing your own meal. I don't have sympathy for the desk jockey who 40 lbs overweight and has hypertension because he refuses to take the stairs in his office and to take a brisk walk at least once a day. Somewhere, people have to take responsibility for themselves and their actions.

Yet we're living in a society right now where, if people were to err in anyway, they'll automatically push responsibility from themselves (where it rightfully belongs) elsewhere because it's just so much easier to blame something or someone rather than admit they've screwed up.

For example, little Timmy speaks profanely, treats his family poorly, and acts poorly every time he doesn't get his way. Instead of saying, "Well, we've been incredibly lax with discipline, we spoil him excessively, and we give into his demands regularly because it's just easier to do" they'll blame TV, music, comics, and video games for his bad behavior. Instead of saying, "Hey folks, you screwed up and you should admit it," you're saying, "Well, there are so many external factors to be considered we really should stave off making any party responsible." In my book, that's just as much of a cop out as blaming someone else for the problems you've wrought and it's just as unacceptable.

That is a PS3 controller.

Wow....thirty years of gaming and you never played a PlayStation 2 or 3?

You certainly are using your brain more too. I know when I'm playing TF2 I'm constantly thinking up new strategies.