Will the ‘Pokémon’ be Heroes in the Battle Against Physical Inactivity?

Abstract

Physical inactivity increases the risks of dying prematurely, dying of heart disease, and developing diabetes, colon cancer and high blood pressure.1 However, there exists a large portion of the population who remain physically inactive and others who are active but do not engage in a sufficient amount of physical activity to maintain health.2 Multiple factors underlie this dilemma, including personal, social and environmental issues, all of which have made the promotion of physical activity a challenging endeavor. Interestingly, in the past few months (as of early July, 2016) anecdotal evidence suggests more people have been going outside and engaging in physical activity. This is not related to any “national fitness initiatives” or the like, but simply as part of playing a game called ‘Pokémon Go’. This new mobile gamming application uses an augmented reality and GPS location systems to create a map of the local environment. Individuals can use their phones to track and catch Pokémon (virtual creatures). The most intriguing aspect from a public health perspective is that people must actually engage in physical activity (e.g. walking, biking) to be successful playing the game. Amit Khera, MD, Director of Preventive Cardiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas notes, “Unlike many apps or video games which are largely sedentary endeavors, this one promotes physical activity in the outdoors. Importantly, the physical activity is a by-product rather than an explicit component, such as one sees with other “Fit” video games that can turn off some young adults. So, kids and adults are getting outdoors, engaging in social interaction, and are participating (unintentionally) in physical activity - it is a win-win all around”! With reported downloads of the game exceeding 100 million since July 2016, why is this particular game, with inherent design features to promote physical activity, so popular? Maybe even more importantly, can this popularity (as well as the associated increased physical activity participation) be sustained over a long enough period to impact public health?