More Than 1500 Schools To Deploy DDR By 2010

The New York Times is reporting on the popularity of Dance Dance Revolution in augmenting school gym programs. Adopted by educators as a way to fight obesity among young people and encourage participation, the article states that by the end of the decade some 1500 institutions will be using the game in classes. "As Leighton Nakamoto, a physical education teacher at Kalama Intermediate School in Makawao, Hawaii, put it: 'The new physical education is moving away from competitive team sports and is more about encouraging lifetime fitness, and D.D.R. is a part of that. They can do it on their own, and they don't have to compete with anyone else.' Mr. Nakamoto said that he had used the game in class for four years and that his school had also installed the game in its "Active Lifestyle" room, where students are allowed and encouraged to play in their free time."

Comments

Not a bad idea

[PixieDust]

Regardless as to whether or not the game is currently "in" doesn't matter. It gets people doing something active, without being the aggrivating "omg it's time for gymn class and doing some god awful dodgeball activity, or jump the bleachers thing". It's a frikken video game.

I still see kids lining up to play this in the malls, arcades, etc. Dozens of people standing around watching. Sometimes you just can't help it. I think it's a great idea, at least it beats sweeping the gym. As for combating obesity, good luck with that. Call my skinny ass when you've figured out how to make people with metabolisms in the stratosphere GAIN weight. I care not for this "obesity epidemic".

Great!

[asninn]

As someone who lost a significant amount of weight playing dancing games and who also hates pretty much every other kind of sport (especially competitive sports) I can only say this - great news!

I've always said (based on my own experiences) that the biggest problem with P.E. is that it fails to actually catch children's interest. Pretty much every young child I've seen loves to be physically active, but the rigid structure of school sports and the emphasis on achieving goals that takes all the fun out of being active also seems to destroy this love for activity in most children very quickly. Putting the fun back into P.E. can only be a good thing, and should also help with the USA's rampant obesity problem.

So therefore, let me say it again: great news indeed!

Re:In and out of style

[Kelbear]

I went to my friend's house constantly back in highschool, about 6-9 years ago I think?(I forget exactly when DDR got popular).

DDR Universe released recently for the Xbox360 and I bought it.

The in-game calorie counter says I've spent about 5000 calories on it(That's about 1.42lbs of fat). I weighed 195, and about a month later, I weigh 193(5'10, 15% bodyfat). So I'm pretty happy with the result of losing weight from playing a videogame. I already have an active lifestyle(weightlifting 3-4 times a week) and a healthy diet. So the 2lbs of weightloss is being added to a high level of weight maintenance(I weigh 230+ if I live normally).