iblog

The Nintendo Wii is the most sought after present this Christmas, with stocks heavily running out by the hour and many distressed parents not able to secure one before the big day. Though like all novelty gadgets, the hype is often disproportionate to the product, but it is easy to see why the Wii is in so much demand. It marks a revolution in gaming as now players can feel truly involved in their games by being able to use the Wii in a variety of innovative ways. Whether you want to play tennis or bowl, fight or drive, all these things can be simulated with the Wii in more realistic ways than pressing buttons. Furthermore, an extra appeal is that the Wii has been marketed as an “active” console, with players no longer slumped motionless on the couch.

Though this may be true to some extent, it is very important to take this claim with a pinch of salt and understand that the Nintendo Wii cannot replace other forms of more strenuous exercise. Young people are at particular risk from obesity and require at least an hour of exercise a day which cannot be taken from playing on the console. Indeed a new British Medical Journal study has found that in fact Wii players only use 2% more energy than players of other consoles. This may promote an “every little help” image, they admit, but it is wrong thinking that it is enough. As a spokesperson for the study said:

“These increases were of insufficient intensity to contribute towards recommendations for children’s daily exercise. Although this figure is trivial it might contribute to weight management. New generation computer games stimulated positive activity behaviours - the children were on their feet and they moved in all directions. Given the current prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, such positive behaviours should be encouraged.”

The obesity crisis in Britain has hit children the worst, with more than a third of twelve year olds overweight. Whilst the Wii may provide more activity than conventional consoles, it is perhaps still more dangerous to believe, and let children believe, that playing games on the Wii is enough. Well, so much for childrens’ hopeful dreams!

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 at 1:31 am and is filed under Gadgets, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.