Stop the press “It’s water retention. No its cake and chips retention”!

What about watching television then? Or reading a book? Or browsing the internet? Didn't old Tony want broadband in every home!
Why don't the government concentrate on saving some money and getting us out of the financial 'full nelson' they put us in last year, rather than coming out with preposterous comments that could potentially effect trade in this sector.

Outrageous, they just sit there doing nothing? It's almost as bad as reading or doing homework.

Life leads to Death lets Ban it !!!

What I want to know is....

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/are_violent_video_games

How much time do children spend sat still at desks in classrooms a week? Rather a lot I think

They are too busy lowering interest rates, and sending us the way of Zimbabwe by generating digital money.

This is rediculous, playing games is no more unhealthy than playing board games, or watching TV, or any of the things a previous Commenter mentioned.

Infact, Wiifit is much more healthy than doing any of the other things, surely.

Childhood obesity is a problem, but its not caused by video games; they are just another scape goat.

Stop over feeding kids, that should sort out their weight problems. Put a massive tax on Happy meals.

Have they really singled out the games industry here? The adverts and website I've seen just give good Public Health advice. The car, transport, food, tv, film industries could all claim to have been criticised.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2009/jan/02/change4life-ad-campaign" onclick="window.open ( this.href ); return false;" class="comment_url" >http://www.guardia...paign
http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/default.aspx" onclick="window.open ( this.href ); return false;" class="comment_url" >http://www.nhs.uk/....aspx
I'm all for dispelling myths, and there are some strange attitudes about the games industry. But how about trying to work with the health services rather than attack honest attempts at improving the health of the nation.

I have 2 boys aged 10 and 3 and I can honestly say that gaming has helped their progression in life. Not only is it good for hand eye co-ordination but also helps their reading skills and general puzzle solving. I have been a gamer for over 25yrs and I am still going strong.
If done moderately and with an active lifestyle then I would rather have them playing games with me than stabbing each other in bus stops like the rest of the nation seems to do.

I think you can link pretty much link anything to obesity other than collecting berries all day or running after rabbits in a field for your dinner.
The governments crack health team, backed by a load of other (clearly stupid) organisations must have randomly selected computer games for this months focus. Lets make sure that next week its sleeping as I think this is a real hidden killer.

Hang on, just when this country’s economy might (is) going down the pan a profitable industry gets hit on the head by government. The mixed messages Golden Brown is given to the public is a farce, do we need yet more fear to get message’s across to the public – the government seems to think so.

And what the hell does cancer research have to do with doing nothing or playing video games.

10 Downing Street – you NOOBS!

Exactly, old Crash Gordon does it again.
Spending yet more of our (VERY) hard earned on another ill conceived scheme.
More damage to business than good, just when everyone needs all the help they can get, well done Gordo, you just spat in my face.

Listen to me you lot. Do what we tell you, the Labour government knows best.
We are only spending £75 million on this campaign and we have some great fat fighting partners working with us in Nestle, PepsiCo and Mars. So it can't possibly be their fault. So it must be yours.

lol - how about a campaign linking death and sitting at your office desk and on the tube.

shows just how scientific these organizations are, and not at all political tools ;)

This is shocking...

I love in the TV advert they go on about how people used to have to hunt their food etc etc. But now don't we have a much longer life expectancy that they did?
Just another hit at games being the culprit of all that is wrong in life. I look forward one day to seeing an advert that states you're a bad parent sort it out.

We crave the standing that music and film have and moan about being neglected by mass media.
Then when we are included we moan about the fact we are treated as a scapegoat.
This is the flipside of being "bigger than music / cinema / jesus" [delete as appropriate]
You can't have you're cake and eat it (you'll get fat and die)

>Have they really singled out the games industry here?

No, they haven't as youv'e said - they've criticised a range of potentialy lethagic passtimes and are encouraging people to go and exercise, big deal. Gaming with a few exceptions is pretty much sit on the sofa and move your hands.
I can't believe that people are so myopic to think that gaming deserves no criticisum and nothing but praise, it's not an athletic passtime generally is it?

The most important fact is that the government thinks its a good idea to have a go at industries and print derogatory statements about them in the current economic climate. Given that playing computer games is about as dangerous as reading a book or browsing the internet I thinks its a pointless waste of money to print this nonsense. If the campaign IS effective it WILL effect sales of games. Can't anybody see that??

How dare they! My fellow cyberathletes and I are quite the picture of robust good health! Indeed, as my website asserts, I am a naturally gifted athlete who previously took part in such strenuous sports as golf.

Ban sleep. Sleep has been linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and autism among many other illnesses in children. How is this proved? Simple, every child that has any of these diseases also sleeps, Ergo sleep is clearly the cause.

"The most important fact is that the government thinks its a good idea to have a go at industries and print derogatory statements about them in the current economic climate"

I think the most important part was meant to be trying to stop lazy cake eating, game playing young un's get diabetes / die.

It would take the most myopic and narrow minded of individual to think it is not a bad thing for kids to only sit around playing games, or watching TV, or reading, or doing cross-stitch, or whatever.

The campaign doesn't say never play games, or anything like it, it says that a lifestyle dominated by it is unhealthy.

It's blatant short-termism, we can't have kids dying before they get old enough to buy a copy of GTA and go on a rape and murder spree after playing it.

What about watching television then? Or reading a book? Or browsing the internet? Didn't old Tony want broadband in every home!
Why don't the government concentrate on saving some money and getting us out of the financial 'full nelson' they put us in last year, rather than coming out with preposterous comments that could potentially effect trade in this sector.

Typical they arn't doing adverts aimed at how much time kids spend in front of the DVD/TV, oh no they are too busy cosing up to the lovies and giving them tax breaks. But the games industry which brings in more revenue into the UK is their whipping boy.

It's pretty clear from the comments here that none of you have any idea about the campaign at all. apart from MrJolly (thank you) and the amusing post by "Fatal1ty".

How is the industry supposed to engage in sensible dialogue or expected to be taken seriously with knee-jerk uninformed reactions such as those expressed here.

>How is the industry supposed to engage in sensible dialogue or expected to be taken seriously with knee-jerk uninformed reactions such as those expressed here.

Never stopped the Daily Mail.

As a prospective games design,er i think this is a load of ****ing ****. why don't they look at other thigns such as fatty foods, television, and just general stuff.

of course all politicians are fine figures of men and women just look at brown he must work out in the gym everyday NOT !
do as we say not as we do that's the labour moto

Blatant and irresponsible scapegoating. Of all the leisure activities that involve no physical exercise gaming is the most beneficial. As we all know, but the great and good people responsible for these adverts don't, computer games can now involve physical exercise. So games have social, intellectual and now physical benefits.
Excessive gaming can have adverse effects, but then so can anything done in excess - including exercise.
Government departments and charities should be responsibly informing the people. By scare-mongering they are failing the people they serve.

Sorry Ben but if people are going to take campaigns like this seriously it will have to be presented honestly and accurately, not by trying to terrify parents into submission with misleading information.
What's wrong with trying to promote a healthy lifestyle using positivity? This approach gives the disturbing impression its more of a politically minded witch hunt seeking a scapegoat for failed health based targets.

It is indeed pathetic to see people drawing so much unnecessary attention toward video games. I believe the world has more concerning matters to be dealt with. Instead of putting time and resources and actually wasting them on virtual violence, try to stop the reality of violence of which our world drowned into.

I remember two years ago I've had the same vision for digital entertainment but trough my researches I've released how wrong I was. almost 90percent of gamers I've conduct my research on never been misbehaved or had violence in attitude. 78percent described it as a virtual habit can let them of from the reality of the world sometimes and they described it as a motivation to stay competitive in life. none of them described violence games as you do. video games are no threat, however some of them bring a lot of baditudes like GTA series and Saint Row series and 50cent games, etc, but so does Hollywood movies and TV shows broadcasted everyday from network to network.

no, you need to Change4Life, gamers are happy the way they are. concern and invest your time and resources on the REAL SOURCES of violence, which I believe starts with every government.

You can't control everything this is not the way the world works.

When was the last time you saw a healthy politician?

Look at Gordo, Jaba the Hut (Prescott), Ann Wide combe, Ken Clarke, that Blond twit acting as Mayor.

Hardly the fittest bunch around.

Ban politics - bad for your health.

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