Pokemon Go Doesn't Impact Exercise Habits, Harvard Study Finds

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – When Pokemon Go debuted over the summer, there were plenty of headlines declaring that the augmented reality game was helping young people get outside and exercise.

But a new study from researchers at Harvard University is casting doubt on how much catching Pokemon in the real world actually does to improve a player's physical activity.

An article published in the medical journal The BMJ states that Pokemon Go users did indeed report a "moderate" increase in their number of daily steps after installing the game. But that uptick was no longer observed after six weeks, according to the study.

"Even if smaller amounts of physical activity might also be important for health outcomes, the increase in steps from Pokémon GO, as with many physical activity interventions, was not sustained over time," researchers stated. "Pokémon GO might also entail risks, such as injuries and road traffic incidents."

Harvard's study involved 2,225 people between 18 and 35 years old.