Why Playing Video Games Can Help You Lose Weight

When it comes to losing weight, any activity outside of eating is a good activity. As long as it keeps food out of your hands, it is allowing your body to burn calories without taking any in. Even though there is a common stereotype of overweight video gamers lolling on couches munching on snack chips, video games can actually assist in losing weight. There are the obvious games, such as Wii Fit, that actually promote exercise, but I am talking about video games in general.

While exercise video games can actually burn calories at a decent rate depending on the activity performed, any video game can be helpful in weight loss due to one important factor: Your hands are occupied. When your hands are being used to operate video game controllers, they can't be used to stuff food in your mouth. In addition, video games allow you to focus your mind on something other than food. Whether it is destroying aliens, winning a race, scoring a touchdown, or solving a puzzle, the vast majority of video games do not have food as a central focus.

There are a few games, however, that are not as ideal for weight loss, as they allow long pauses between game action. This allows the gamer to hit the fridge or gulp down some snacks during lulls in activity. Games of this type include party games, which go on a turn-by-turn basis and allow for snacking when it is not your turn, games with lengthy cinematic gameplay or cutscenes (think Heavy Rain) that involve more watching than playing, and simulation games that don't force much real-time action (think Farmville).

Outside of the aforementioned games, most video games will keep you occupied enough that you can't take a break and get something to eat. Obviously, there is a pause feature on most games, but if you find a game you really like, you can play for hours on end without wanting to stop. While this can be dangerous if multi-day marathon sessions are attempted, if done in moderation, playing an involving game for several hours at a stint can help keep you from obsessing over food.

To really force yourself to stay involved in a particular game, consider multiplayer games. These games are great for losing yourself in something other food and require paying a lot of attention to the game. This is basically because to do your part for your party or team, you have to keep aware of what is going on. There is no pausing of multiplayer games, so there is no temptation to take a break and get a snack. Also, the interaction between players, especially during challenging missions or tasks, serves to keep attention focused on the game.

In conclusion, video games can actually be a reasonable way to keep food out of your hands and out of your mouth if done in moderation. Obviously, they are not a substitute for actual exercise, so you don't want to build a diet around playing video games, but they do represent a good way to kill a few hours between meals without having to battle the temptation to eat.