Note: Our own Jim Sterling confirms that he is not the kid in question.
In that strange world where they use odd measurements like stone lives a gamer named Marc Rodwell. Marc's overeating of curry, pizza and soda had him literally breaking scales at 36-stone, or over 500 pounds. He was told that he would not live to see his 24th birthday.
But then he found Rock Band.
Harmonix's rhythm game literally saved his life. Well, that and a better diet and exercise. He started drumming and never stopped, and through that he has lost 224 pounds.
"On Rock Band you really work up a sweat. I play all the instruments but I especially think the drums have helped with my weight loss," Rodwell told Daily Mail.
"I feel like a completely different person, I feel great."
Sure, lifting weights and eating better makes a difference, but Marc gives Rock Band a lot of the credit: "'It sounds silly to say I play a game as an additional workout but you would be surprised how many calories you burn in two hours of drumming."
"I feel amazing. I celebrate my 24th birthday in February so it will be a real milestone to reach that age."
Contest:
12:00 PM on 12.30.2011 | 
Cheers to this guy for making life improvements on his own terms.
I lol'd.
While I don't doubt that this gentleman's health was an issue, there is no proven direct correlation between weight and health. There IS, admittedly, a direct correlation between weight and lifestyle. This said, not all fat people are unhealthy and not all thin people are healthy. In a nutshell: the only thing you can tell by looking at a fat person is that they are fat.
Thanks for sharing this, Dale. You just don't see stories like this on other gaming blogs!
If you don't believe this gamer's story, play "Dammit" on Expert. You'll change your mind.
Spoken like a true fat guy in denial (?)
In fact, most are pretty ripped. You know, not that I'm paying attention or anything ..
I believe that it would be safe to say that your statement is less commonly acknowledged as truth, and the burden of proof rests on your shoulders.
Although saying Rock Band is what made him thinner is utterly ridiculous, reducing his overall calorie intake per day is what did it.
Hitting plastic things on other plastic things is less effective than simply jumping around like an idiot.
You should look up Gene Hoglan.
Self-taught drummer known for playing what he calls "triple-kicks" and has been drumming in bands for nearly 30 years now. He's called "The Atomic Clock" and the "Human Drum Machine" for how insanely precise he is on timing at incredible tempos.
And for the longest time, he was a mountainously fat fella.
http://youtu.be/pzJe-EgBauw <--- language warning
That video is him playing "Oh My Fucking God" with Strapping Young Lad, and there are others you can find that demonstrate just how unreal a drummer he can be. You'd think he'd be out of breath just from sitting down, the way he looks, at first.
Also: Hail the Skullet. \m/
He got me motivated to drop some holiday weight.
The general consensus is that being overweight is bad for your health, and it is you who claims that this is wrong. You are the person who needs to provide citation, in the same way that I would ask for citation from a man who claimed the sky is normally green. Your claim is outside the norm, and that puts you in the position to tell us why it is right.
Now I understand that general knowledge is wrong on a lot of things, and I would be more than happy to be proven wrong. But that is the thing, you have yet to give any solid proof that common knowledge is incorrect.
The problem is not the weight itself, at least not at this age, but the problem that most overweight people don't move enough, drink to much caffeine drinks and eat sugar and get a pulse that's way higher than it should be and with it way to high blood pressure.
The other problem is too much salt, that can also kill you.
But whatever man, if your just fat but train enough, watch your sugar, salt and caffeine consumption, you can be as healthy as any other guy that does that. But then you aren't fat, probably.
And the citations:
http://longevity.about.com/od/abouthighbloodpressure/p/sodium.htm
http://highbloodpressure.about.com/od/prevention/a/caffeine.htm
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/salt-and-hypertension.html
http://www.aakp.org/aakp-library/why-does-salt-cause-high-blood-pressure-/
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20090122/salt-may-restrict-blood-flow-to-heart
http://www.highbloodpressureinfo.org/sugar-and-high-blood-pressure.html