More than 200 children at Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s Hank Kline Club received Nerf Energy Game Kits on Jan. 18 gaining access to a limited-release game that aims to help reduce youth obesity through “exergaming.”
This initiative is a collaboration between Hasbro and UnitedHealthcare as part of a nationwide program with the Boys & Girls Clubs to encourage greater physical activity among youth.
Each kit includes a Nerf Energy Game Band, a Nerf Pro Foam soccer ball and instructions to download the Nerf Energy Rush mobile game to get kids moving. Elementary-age club members (ages 6-12) demonstrated how the kits work with the help of UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr. Health E. Hound, who led the group through exercises and relays.
Childhood obesity is a national health crisis. Nationwide, approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Florida, 13 percent of children are considered obese. (America’s Health Rankings) The Nerf Energy Game Kits are designed to encourage physical activity among children in a fun and playful way with rewards, called “exergaming.” As children participate in physical activity, they earn “energy points” that are tracked by the activity band, and these points turn into screen time to play the mobile game on a smartphone or tablet.
