ELSPA has expressed its joy over the Government’s new Change4Life TV ad, which praises the role of active games as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Change4Life’s previous print ad drew fire from games industry companies such as EA, Sega, Codemasters and Atari. It depicted a young boy playing a console under the tagline: ‘Risk an Early Death. Just Do Nothing.’

The new Change4Life TV ad, which aired last Friday, urges families to make sure their kids have 60 ‘active’ minutes each day, and gives camera time to ‘games in which require kids to move about’.

Director general of ELSPA Mike Rawlinson told MCV: "We have been working with the DoH for some time and are delighted that the Minister listened to what we had to say. Games can be a part of a healthy lifestyle.”

ELSPA held discussions with the Department of Health and the three NGOs involved in the offending print ad – Cancer Research, Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation – following its publication last month.

Minister for public health Dawn Primarolo added: “Active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to get kids moving more.

“Little bits of activity like this, throughout the day can easily add up to the 60 active minutes kids need. But our survey shows that at the moment our kids just aren’t getting up and about enough.”

The new ad was created by Aardman Animations.