Encouraging children to use interactive computer games such as the Nintendo Wii will become part of a public health drive to tackle rising rates of obesity in the young.

In a pilot project in the East Midlands, gaming systems were given to overweight children to encourage them to take more exercise. Highlighting the scheme in his annual report, Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer, said that video gaming was a key cause of obesity in children and young adults. He said that stopping children playing video games was impractical, so researchers and public health strategists were looking at ways to use them to improve health instead.

Researchers found that playing dynamic, interactive games instead of sedentary ones could increase the number of calories burnt by 42 per cent. If children engaged in active play for 60 minutes a day over a year, they would burn approximately 7½lb of body fat.

The research group includes representatives from GameCity, a street-level programme of activity that celebrates video games and interactive entertainment, Nottingham Trent University, the Department of Health, and clinicians from Nottingham University Hospital.

The first study of 15 children – 14 boys and one girl – showed that the heart rate could be raised and sustained at moderate to vigorous intensities during active game play.

Researchers concluded that highly interactive games could be a way for children to do the recommended amount of physical activity at home. The minimum amount is at least half an hour of vigorous exercise three times a week.

The second phase of the study is using gaming systems as an intervention strategy to encourage physical activity. Gaming consoles are being provided to 20 members of a support group for overweight and obese children. The researchers said that with many of the children finding it difficult to exercise because of their weight, games that could be played in the safety of the child’s own home offered a possible solution.

Like many regions of Britain, obesity has risen sharply in the East Midlands, particularly among boys. The proportion of boys who are obese increased from 0.9 per cent in 1995 to 17.3 per cent in 2006, while in girls it rose from 12 per cent to 14.7 per cent in the same period.

Sir Liam said that the second phase of the study was expected to be completed in the next few months.

“The findings will be used to develop a strategy to encourage behavioural change in children and promote involvement in physical activity,” he added.

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