Dance Dance Revolution and West Virginia Obesity

West Virginia plans to expand a pilot project using "Dance Dance Revolution" to fight child obesity in West Virginia. The object of the project is to get sedentary kids more active by enticing them with interative video games. The pilot project will be expanded to 157 middle schools throughout the state and plans for futher expansion. For more info on the project check out this article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

I'm sold on the project after having spent half of my Christmas holiday jumping up, down and sweating on my nieces new Dance Dance Revolution game. I was skeptical about the project when I heard it announced last year -- but the game is addicting. Our entire family had a great time using the game. We even got my 82 year old dad up on the game -- I only wish they would have had some big band swing tunes for him.

Statistics in West Virginia:
West Virginia is consistently among the top three states for obesity, with about a third of its residents considered obese and even more overweight, according to the state Bureau of Public Health. Nearly 46 percent of 31,000 fifth-graders screened in a coronary artery risk project from 1999-2005 were considered overweight or obese, according to the Institute of Medicine guidelines.

I'm just waiting for the litigation fallout from the project.

Tags: wv, West Virginia, xbox, health care, revolution