Since Nintendo first debuted its video-game console designed for physical fitness in 2006, the Wii Fit has caused quite a stir as a possible tool for easy at-home exercise and weight loss. But a new study submitted by the University of Mississippi this past Christmas, when thousands of people were gifting or receiving Wiis, has found that the video game does not help families increase physical fitness or muscle strength and has little significant effect on body composition and weight loss. Am I surprised? No. But will scores of exercise-phobic, dieting-zealous friends be overwhelmingly upset? Oh, very.
A little back story: Wii Fit, the second best-selling video game in history, allows users to practice yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balancing sports like snowboarding without leaving the living room by using balance boards to react to the actions or activities they see on screen. Approximately 23 million people now own a Wii Fit–that’s about the population of Texas.
Since Wii Fit has become a phenomenon, alongside its sibling Wii Sport–which lets participants play tennis, baseball, and other sports in front of the TV–I have more than a few overweight friends who have dropped their daily walks or gym sessions in favor of a little fun in front of the TV. The problem? In some ways, there is none: Wii Fit can give busy parents, families, and elderly people the opportunity to be mildly active at home without a babysitter, gym membership, excessive time commitment, or ideal outdoor environment.
But at the same time, the idea of Wii promotes the kind of ease and excuses that have fueled our nation’s obesity epidemic. After all, why walk when you can drive? Why eat whole foods when there are packaged snacks? And, certainly, why on Earth exercise outside or sweat profusely when you can swerve a little in front of the TV that Americans already spend an average of 151 hours looking at every month?
Finally, with Wii Fit, it’s difficult to discern if you’re actually exercising or just playing a video game–in reality, I think it’s the latter. Remember, it’s only in the past two decades that most children’s games have gone from creative or active pursuits, such as painting or playing hide ‘n seek, to sedentary, technology-driven computer activities and video games.
In closing, the University of Mississippi study is a good thing. Hopefully, it will push some people into learning the very simple, but important lesson of weight loss: If it looks too easy, it probably is.
Great information thanks for getting this out there for people like me to read.
Well written
I own a Wii Fit and recommend it to all my friends. This article seems to apply to those that do not take fitness seriously. It lacks the mentioning of those who have lost weight while having fun. There are persons who work out on the Wii Fit regularly (3-5 times a week for 45 min or more), along with a healthy well balanced diet, and have proof of results. Even if the Wii Fit is used only twice a week with another exercise for the remainder it is still beneficial. In instances when the user is only “playing” the game, doing minimal work, they are bound to be disappointed.