Say ‘Wii!’ for Your Health

Picture a typical gamer of the 80s and 90s. He was generally a pale-faced kid who would rather spend his saturdays on a couch instead of out playing a sport. He was a teenager. And he often didn’t keep his health in check… Or at least that’s what the stereotype says.

Today’s gaming culture is much, much different. For one, the age has changed. So has the sex. A CEA study found that 65% of women in the 25-34 age bracket have played games, while only 35% of men in the same group could say the same. And while women only make up 27 percent of the Second Life population (a popular online game by Linden Labs), they comprise 43 percent of the in-game hours.

But many more gamers are thinking about health. In fact, the popular site Health Insurance.org found that nursing homes are using the Wii to improve the health of its seniors tenants.

Indeed, doctors are even using the Wii in their training, and future holds much promise for the forces of both the health care industry and the video game industry to ally for the greater good.