Last week Republican Congressman Joe Baca introduced legislation that, if approved, would mandate all video games with an ESRB rating of Teen (T) would have to be sold with a health warning label.

The legislation, dubbed The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009, would force vendors to include the following warning label on the package: “WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

Actually, we wouldn't mind health warning labels on games, but we think obesity should be addressed first. Violent content could be an issue, too, and numerous studies have linked violent games to violent behavior. On the other hand, numerous other studies have failed to find such links. Some people are just inherently violent, and the fact they enjoy violent video games is a result, not a cause of their violent tendencies.

“The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers – to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products,” said Rep. Baca.  “They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people.  American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products.”

There's a chance publishers won't mind the initiative. Putting a warning label on games might help them wash their hands the next time a game addict goes ape and gets a real gun. What's more, music with explicit lyrics warnings tends to sell quite well, so it's possible games with a violence warning sticker could do so, as well.

So there you have it, don't be surprised if you find a health warning on your video game, similar to the one you find on your pack of cigarettes or bottle of single malt.

You can find the full release here.