Wellness ProgramsThe Nintendo Wii Fit was released to the public recently with much ballyhoo. If you haven’t seen the Nintendo Wii game system, it is the latest evolution in video game playing where players use the remote to mimic real-life actions such as a tennis forehand. The players’ physical actions are then played out on the screen.
The Wii Fit is a “game” that according to the Nintendo website can increase your fitness levels. “By playing Wii Fit a little every day, you, your friends, and your family can work towards personal goals of better health and fitness,” the site claims. While I have yet to use the game at all, I can say that I am highly skeptical that this will make a dent into America’s growing obesity problem.
The Wii Fit comes with a balance board that the player uses to interact with the game. When you first start the game, the Wii Fit assesses your balance – which is important in your overall health, but is usually not a concern to anyone who is not a senior citizen or recovering from injury.
It then moves on to perform the Body Test, which is more balance assessment, followed by the calculation of Body Mass Index (or BMI). BMI is a very flawed measure of one’s fitness, as it measures the ratio of one’s scale weight to one’s height. So, on the BMI scale, the following people are considered Overweight or Obese:
Alex Rodriguez of the new York Yankees – Tom Brady of the new England Patriots – Lance Armstrong of cycling fame – Arnold Schwarzenegger – Sylvester Stallone
See where I’m going with this? Scale weight does not account for the amount of lean body mass someone is carrying. That is why body fat percentage is the gold standard for measuring one’s fitness.
Also, measuring BMI on anyone under 19 is very inaccurate. This already has become an issue for Nintendo, as a 10-year old athletic British girl was assessed as being Fat by the game. Obesity experts jumped on Nintendo immediately, rightfully stating that the game could cause irreparable harm to a child’s body image. Nintendo has since added a disclaimer that the BMI feature is meant for adults only, but hasn’t taken the step of deactivating it in the game for child users.
The game goes on to calculate a Wii Fit Age for the user based on your balance test results, actual age, etc. Again, this is a very shaky measure of one’s fitness that could mislead people.
The Training section of the game is broken down into four sections: Yoga, Balance Games, Strength Training and Aerobics, all of which can be done without spending the $89.95 suggested retail price for Wii Fit.
Let’s break down the Strength Training section as an example of some of the flaws in this game. The first exercise is a Single Leg Extension, which is more of an exercise in balance than a strength training exercise. Also, leg extensions do not mimic a real life use of the leg, and the leg extension machine is perhaps one of the worst machines in the gym.
The next exercise is torso twists, which is more of a dynamic stretch than a strength building exercise, especially in the absence of any weighted bar or dumbbells. That is followed by the push-up and side plank. Now, I’m a big fan of both of these exercises, but they are not for the de-conditioned. Most men are not capable of doing pushups with correct form, and women usually start out with the modified push-up until they have the strength to do regular form.
The next exercise, jack-knifes, is for people who are advanced in their training. It violates one of the basic principles of fitness professionals around the world – never put a de-conditioned person on their back on the floor for anything. Lastly, the game makes the user perform lunges, which are great muscle builders. However, like stated before, you don’t need to buy a game system to do them.
Overall, I give Nintendo credit for trying to make a game that tries to get people to be more active, which is more than can be said for other video game manufacturers. However, this will not do anything in terms of chipping away at the American obesity problem. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the video game industry needs to follow the route of the tobacco and alcohol manufacturers, and state that excessive use of their product could lead to inactivity and obesity, rather than try to make a half-hearted effort at increasing American activity levels.
Rather than letting your kids play Wii Fit while you watch TV in the other room, here are some things that you can do together:
- Go for a brisk walk
- Group session with a personal trainer
- Navigate a confidence course
- Play catch with a football or baseball
- Kick a soccer ball around
- One-one-one basketball
- Walk and play a par 3 golf course
- Family yard work or snow shove
You’ll save money on electricity and form stronger bonds with your kids as you increase your fitness levels together.
Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=942991
July 6th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Reading this blog for too long could lead to obesity because you just sit and read. Please add a warning label to this blog.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the video game industry needs to… state that excessive use of their product could lead to inactivity and obesity,
Correct me if I’m wrong, but you do realize that the exact same thing could be said of the public library, movie theaters, television shows, internet capable computers, and homework.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this blog should have a warning label, stating that excessive use of this blog (or the internet in general) can lead to inactivity and obesity. In fact, Things such as chairs, food, libraries, homework, cars, televisions, grass, carpet, and beds should all have labels telling of how excessive use can lead to obesity.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Brilliant! Next, make sure the publishing industry puts warning labels on all books. If you lay around and read all day, you’ll just get fat. Oh, I guess that goes for reading blogs, too! I better go!
July 6th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
So tv’s should having warning labels on them. Same with your couch, a good book, and anything else where you spend ample time doing nothing. Thanks for the insight you should really not say anything if you have nothing even remotely intelligent to say.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the book industry needs to follow the route of the tobacco and alcohol manufacturers, and state that excessive use of their product could lead to inactivity and obesity…
July 6th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
2 Things
1 – Wii Fit was not released recently, unless you consider May of 2008 (over a year ago) as recent
2 – While I agree that video games can lead to obesity, it is short sighted to claim that they will cause it they way that smoking will cause cancer. Video games, by themselves, do not lead to obesity, there are many other factors that added with video games can cause obesity. There are plenty of people, like me, who play video games on a regular basis (daily) and still lead an active healthy lifestyle. Your proposal that video games should have an obesity warning label could be made for TV, movies, the internet, your own blog, fast food, all food if eaten in excess, driving a car, etc, etc.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
hm. Nintendo isn’t trying to chip away at the american obesity problem because they don’t care and rightly they shouldn’t because its not their problem. They are from Japan. And in Japan, they don’t have an obesity problem. And they are the GAMING capital of the world.
Thats like blaming fat kids on doritos. really? I mean come on.
Not only do they not care, but this is a game. JUST A GAME. it can have benefits and is enjoyable especially to those who love yoga but its just that. A GAME. so the fact that you’re actually treating it like a hardcore weight loss regimen blows my mind.
What professional nutritionist would even take that seriously?
apparently you did.
But then..
How professional are you?
I suggest you stick to reviewing nordictracks and slimquick drinks.
Leave the gaming to gamers.
and to suggest that all gamers are fat is also grossly misrepresented.
Thanks.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
“In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the video game industry needs to follow the route of the tobacco and alcohol manufacturers, and state that excessive use of their product could lead to inactivity and obesity, rather than try to make a half-hearted effort at increasing American activity levels.”
This statement is indicative of a complete failure to understand cause and effect. Tobacco and alcohol actually cause problems when they are consumed (the latter in excess). Video games do not. The “inactivity and obesity” is a product of eating too much and exercising too little. Someone may choose to play video games instead of exercising, but the video games are not causing the obesity; the lack of exercise is. If you excessively play video games but never eat, you won’t be obese.
Of course, you might be advocating warning labels on everything that could possibly take away from exercise time. In that case, we would need similar labels on books. And on televisions. And on magazines. And on your webpage. But that would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? Surely you’re not advocating that we put warning labels on every product that doesn’t contribute to physical fitness in some way. That would only leave… well, things like your gym. Amazing how that works.
In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the exercise industry needs to follow the route of the tobacco and alcohol manufacturers, and state that excessive use of their services could lead to an inability to reason and think critically, rather than try to make a half-hearted effort at articulating a faulty idea.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Hey,
In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the video game industry needs to follow the route of the tobacco and alcohol manufacturers, and state that excessive use of their product could lead to inactivity and obesity…
I’m hoping this is somewhat of an exaggeration you are making. Right? I hope. I am pretty fit myself and work out daily, but still enjoy playing video games.
Couldn’t we say the same thing about the furniture industry, the television industry, the movie industry, the automobile industry (cause we would all be skinny if we had to walk everywhere), and on and on.
I say we all just become more responsible for ourselves and stop trying to “parent” other people.
But like I said, I’m hoping you were simply exaggerating to try to hit a point out of the park….Right?
July 6th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
We should also put a warning label on exercise equipment that says: “warning, excessive exercise may lead to addiction”. Or maybe warning labels on your faucet that say “excessive water consumption may be unhealthy”. Or we could just not be crazy and realize that playing video games has nothing to do with it. Plenty of people (myself included) play and have played video games while still keeping in shape. Just like there are overweight people who exercise, but their disgustingly high calorie diets keep them from actually losing weight.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Warning Labels? If you put them on video games, you have to put them on DVD’s as well, and how about books? Each and every book should carry the same warning label.
Heck … using that argument, chairs and couches should carry warning labels.
Hmm, I sit at my desk at work for prolonged periods, so I guess my desk at work should likewise carry a warning label … better yet, my employer should be required to inform me that working at a desk could lead to obesity.
Slipper slope incoming. Nuff said.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
“In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the video game industry needs to follow the route of the tobacco and alcohol manufacturers, and state that excessive use of their product could lead to inactivity and obesity, rather than try to make a half-hearted effort at increasing American activity levels.”
As long as you’re going out on a limb to put the same warning labels on books. They’re not making any effort to increase activity levels.
Overall, I think Wii Fit is good at doing what it aims to- taking people who don’t have a knack for personal fitness, and giving them a simple personal trainer to help motivate them. It’s a little push, it’s not going to change people completely who are anti-fitness. Most people like you don’t even seem to care to pick up the game… and it’s not it’s fault if some people don’t have an interest in buying it.
I’d like to see you focus on some of the highlights in the game… but I guess you won’t be able to unless you try to do it for yourself.
Also, I find EA Sports Active to be a great game, much more physically exerting than Wii Fit, and perhaps you should TRY it and review that.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
[...] Politics reported on an article on an extremely small fitness website that suggested that warning labels linking video games to obesity be placed on each game’s [...]
July 6th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
This is irresponsible journalism at its worst, although calling this blog “journalism” is probably irresponsible itself.
First and foremost, there is no single solution to obesity, just like there is no single exercise regimen to help combat it. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author has the belief that we Americans are obese simply because we don’t exercise enough or eat properly, yet completely ignores the possibility of genetics and various disorders. Actually, I think the biggest problem with programs like Wii Fit is that they are still using a fairly unscientific method of determining a proper body: BMI, which is based strictly on height vs. weight. Ask any 6′+ tall, 250# football player who is mostly muscle why his BMI indicates he’s OBESE!
Among the many things misrepresented here, I think the two worst are the beliefs that any exercise that doesn’t involve being outdoors is somehow not “real” exercise and that using a video game like Wii Fit in conjunction with other types of exercise is somehow not beneficial.
That kind of reasoning is very much out of date — just like the belief that a blog would ever possibly be useful in light of good-old broadcast journalism.
I guess the author was so embarrassed by this piece that they resorted to the nom de plume of “admin” and rightfully so. Just because you’re on the Internet doesn’t mean you don’t have a responsibility to report accurately and without bias.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Flipping my light switch on in my house may cause an explosion if the gas is leaking for days while I’m on vacation. Hmmm, need to get a warning label for that.
Backing my car into a brick wall will damage my car, and maybe my wall. Need to get two labels for that!
Sticking my hand in a blender that is turned on will cut up my hand, better get a label for…oh…wait…there are labels on there already. Yeah, see….freaky that you need to warn people that an appliance that cuts up food could hurt you if you stick your hand in it. But, ’tis the world we live in today.
My word. I should just hire my mom to follow me all day telling me what may or may not hurt me.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Put a warning label on the television.
microfame…
July 6th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Joe,
Take a deep breath, step away from your wii and relax. On second thought – maybe you should invest in Wii Fit’s Yoga Bundle.
All the best,
“admin”
July 6th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
video games must be why i weigh an excess of 180 pounds and why i can see my penis without having to lift up rolls of fat.
or wait..
video games actually keep players from eating. their hands are busy with the fiddlesticks as opposed to clawing at junk food.
July 6th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
You lost credibility shortly after “I have yet to try the game at all.” Why are you criticizing something if you have not experienced it yourself? Try, then complain.
I know this much: As an adult, I am more active when I use Wii Fit than when I am not. Of all the interactive products to victimize as a negative influence on fitness, this was the least logical.
July 6th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
While I have yet to use the game at all, I can say that I am highly skeptical that this will make a dent into America’s growing obesity problem.
I believe this quote sums the whole article up. Worst journalist ever.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Warning: Working out has been known to turn people into uppity know-it-all douche bags
July 6th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Ever notice how ‘fitness alternatives’ to common activities tend to be things that not everyone has easy access too. Very upper-middle-class-suburban.
There are reasons that kids spend so much time inside beyond things to do inside. Safe, free, public space that parents will actually let their kids to go has decreased significantly over the last 20 years.
July 6th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
[...] fitness blog called Winston Salem Fitness recently published an editorial calling out the Wii Fit and suggesting that videogames be packaged [...]
July 6th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
[...] fitness blog called Winston Salem Fitness recently published an editorial calling out the Wii Fit and suggesting that videogames be packaged [...]
July 6th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
[...] fitness blog called Winston Salem Fitness recently published an editorial calling out the Wii Fit and suggesting that videogames be packaged [...]
July 7th, 2009 at 12:22 am
[...] fitness blog called Winston Salem Fitness recently published an editorial calling out the Wii Fit and suggesting that videogames be packaged [...]
July 7th, 2009 at 12:57 am
[...] a call for a new video game label is coming from an unlikely crowd: fitness bloggers.Yesterday, a North Carolina fitness blog wrote an article criticizing the use of Wii Fit to lose weight and manage personal fitness. While [...]
July 7th, 2009 at 4:20 am
Shoddy journalism, at best.
I’m a great fan of wonderful literature, and can sit down and read a 300 page book on a weekend. Too bad there wasn’t a warning label to get me to get off of my butt, now I’m fat.
Video games are constantly demonized by people that don’t understand them. The real point should be that any sedentary activity (my 8 hour a day office job, for example) -can- lead to obesity.
Wii Fit is a game, just like Rock Band, or Dance Dance Revolution, or the old NES game Track and Field. Good for them for getting someone up and moving; shame on you for writing this article.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:12 am
i lost 30 kilos using wii fit after gaining them post surgery.
by the way after i got into fitness following the wii fit usage i learnt that athlets bust their health for increased performence and that a marathoneer lifestyle is not healthy.
put a warnning labels on gyms and protein shakes eh…
July 7th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Warning, do not read this post. It could make you obese.
July 7th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Great points. Thank you for pointing that out. The economy is bad, and yet worldwide people have now spent nearly $2 billion on Wii (source). Wouldn’t it be nice if some of that money was spent addressing the second issue you point out. All the best, JB
July 7th, 2009 at 8:03 am
I’d agree with the majority of this, I’ve recently posted about 18 hours of Wii Fit in a year won’t get anyone fit (from Nintendo Channel stats)… but I would hope the “warning stickers” you are proposing are removable, my kids and I play the real games with Gamercize kit that punches well above Wii Fit exertion levels.
My only complaint to the VG industry is a growing trend away from split screen for 360 and PS3 titles… that’s a failing in family socialization that you don’t get with Nintendo!
July 7th, 2009 at 9:43 am
I posted a short response to this article on my blog here http://games.mattsarrel.com/2009/07/wii_crap.html
It’s sort of the gamers take on the fitness expert’s take on games. I actually think this is a very good review of Wii Fit except for the garbage at the end about obesity warnings.
If you follow the logic presented here, every aspect of modern society such as cars, chairs, beds, computers, should all have obesity warnings.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:30 am
I wasn’t aware that there were people that were eating the games and the boxes they come in…That would surely cause both kids and adults to turn into fatties…And it may kill them too, so maybe that should also be part of the warning label. Put like a skull and crossbones and say “If you digest the plastics that are contained in the package, you will either turn into a blimp and/or die”.
When I was a kid, I wasn’t allowed to just lay around and play games all day, nor did I want to. I played them when it was either too nasty out to play, or when I came in after doing things like playing outside. Why is it incumbant on everything to warn parents about having common sense? Maybe along with the game manual, you can have the manufacturers also stick nutritional information in there, and a age/weight/height chart too…Because THAT HAS TO BE THE PROBLEM…It isn’t the parents fault, it just has to be someone elses fault for their fat kids.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
So now it should be the responsibility of the game manufacturers to TELL YOU to get exercise? What kind of cunt needs to be told that sitting in front of a video game every day will result in obesity and loss of stamina? Should be also put a disclaimer on the front of every television warning you that if you sit here too long, you will start eating mcdonalds every day, alienate yourself from your friends and will no longer be able to see your tiny dick over your exploding midsection? FUCK YOU. I’m sick of everyone needing their hand held when they have to make a decision. How about this? Play the wii every day, don’t go outside, dont make any friends, and HOPEFULLY, you will never have the opportunity to procreate, so WE don’t have to risk more stupid cunts like you getting into the gene pool. How does that sound? Fuck yourself and your stupid, irrelevant article.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
[...] in point, Winston Salem Fitness, a blog that recently posted an entry suggesting that Wii Fit – gasp – probably won’t remove excess amounts of jelly [...]
July 8th, 2009 at 3:27 am
[...] gegen Fettleibigkeit hilft”, allerdings den Anschein erwecke genau dies zu tun. GamePolitics, Winston Salem Fitness, gulli.com Thomas Gigold Tags: keine vorhanden 08.07.2009, 09:26 [...]
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
i only have two things to say about this article:
AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
FAIL!