How Many Calories Are in That Cupcake?

Researchers and physicians at Duke Medical Center have recently developed an interactive web game called Energy Balance that encourages players to associate calories with activities. The game was released on July 15 by Little Green Software for the Apps or Healthy Kids Competition as part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Lets Move! initiative to help curb childhood obesity.

Energy Balance is a fast-paced matching game where the player picks the most appropriate activity to burn the calories associated with a particular food. It teaches kids to balance the calories they get from food with appropriate activities, and allows players to compare scores and unlock achievements for speed and persistence.

"Childhood obesity is arguably one of our most pressing public health challenges," says Dr. Bernard Fuemmeler, a pediatric obesity researcher at Duke. "Children need to be equipped with the tools to help them navigate through the energy-rich environment in which they live and teaching children about health needs to be a fun and engaging enterprise."

Energy Balance is designed to help players associate foods with a certain amount of calories and remember the relationship between calories and activities. The free game from Little Green Software can be found at http://www.energybalancegame.com/.