When the Wii Fit came out, I was among many who wondered, "Is this a fitness tool or a video game?" After buying the Nintendo system and trying a few of the games (and experiencing the soreness the day after), my opinion was that, yes, the Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus are definitely tools that can benefit fitness and facilitate weight loss.

Turns out I'm not alone. The UK Department of Health has decided to give the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus its approval, reports BBC News. This marks the first time the UK Department of Health has ever given a nod of approval to a computer game.

The biggest change consumers will notice is the addition of the Change4Life logo to the Wii Fit Plus. Change4Life is a campaign in the UK aiming to keep people from becoming overweight by encouraging them to exercise more and eat healthy.

Wii Fit has been selling in Britain for a few weeks and the game's candidness has caused a bit of a stir. After a ten-year-old British girl stepped on the game's electronic balance board and entered her height, Wii labeled her 'overweight.' She was reportedly devastated.

The girl is 4 ft. 9 in. tall and weighs six stone, 8 pounds -- that's 92 pounds to an American. I logged in this height, weight, and the age of exactly ten years old into a BMI Calculator for Children and Teens and it calculated a BMI of 19.9, placing BMI-for-age in the 84th percentile, at the very top level of 'a healthy weight' for girls this age. Adding a pound (93 pounds) sends the calculation into the 'at risk for being overweight' zone.

Obesity experts are outraged -- they are concerned Wi Fit could damage children's body image and are calling for a warning to parents. One expert stated BMI should not be used with children since a child's BMI can change month-to-month and it's possible a child can be both stocky and very fit. A Nintendo spokesman apologized to any customers offended by the game's terminology and stated Wii Fit is capable of measuring BMI for people aged two and 20, but acknowledged resulting figures may not be entirely accurate for younger kids due to varying levels of development.

Yes, there are real criticisms of utilizing BMI to measure obesity in children. But what bothers me the most about this story is the young girl's devastation. Girls and women are under tremendous societal pressure to be thin.

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Our pals over at DS Fanboy have taken an in-depth look at the pros and cons of practicing yoga guided by a DVD (Yoga for Beginners) versus using the Nintendo DS game, Let's Yoga. First, there was an awesome review of Let's Yoga, and overall, they were fans.

However, as with any at-home automated guide (including a DVD), it's easy to cheat or do poses incorrectly. The game itself sounds like it's easy to navigate and follow, and it has lots and lots of short lessons, so you can tailor your yoga workout to fit into your schedule.

After reading the review, I checked out the comparison, and, long story short, the game totally won. To demonstrate the differences, DS Fanboy provided a chart highlighting similarities and differences, so if you have a particular concern (like you don't want an annoying instructor), you can easily see which option would work best for you. I'm not normally a huge fan of video games, but this sounds like a cool way to get involved in yoga without dragging your karma-challenged butt to a class.

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Looking for ways to motivate your kids to exercise this winter? The ever-popular Nintendo Wii will soon release Wii Fit. Just like Wii games are played on your feet, simulating the movements you'd use in a real sport, Wii Fit aims to get players hearts racing.

The program records your height and weight and gives each participant their BMI. Then it takes players through different physical activities, including skiing, hula hooping, balancing, push-ups, etc. Players can get immediate feedback from their Wii personal trainer and keep track of their progress.

Just like the Wii, Wii Fit isn't exactly like a real workout. But it is physical and for reluctant exercisers it may just bring enough novelty to the workout to make it fun.

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X-Box, Playstation, Wii, Game Cube -- oh yeah, and let's not forget the internet. Throw in some standard television programs and cartoons, and before you know it, every waking hour of a kid's day is spent doing something that involves zero physical activity.

Some may argue that the Nintendo Wii system, which requires you to move in a manner that dictates the movement of the character on the screen (for example, if you are playing a tennis game, you have to "swing" the game controller), does involve physical exertion. But let's face it, it's still a poor excuse for exercise. Obesity rates continue to climb in youth and adolescents, and now research points to the fact that high blood pressure may also be on the rise -- all due to spending too much time engaged in sedentary activities.

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It's not hard to see how some people would identify the physical therapy initials "PT" as "pain and torture." Trying to recover after a surgery or broken bones can be very unpleasant. Having gone through a few sessions myself, rehab is boring too! If only Nintendo had released their Wii gaming platform back when I could have used it for rehabilitation.

Does using a video game for therapeutic purposes sound strange? To some people it might, but to others it's a way to get outside the box and have fun while staying healthy. Many of the movements that the Wii gaming system require players to do are similar in nature to those demanded by physical therapists. But instead of a rote boring routine, this is actually fun.

The great thing is that this loosens up limbs and gets people active without them really being aware. Sure, they obviously know that they're exerting energy, but by playing the Wii they are avoiding having to painfully stretch, lift and pivot that much more. Even though Nintendo's console is a supplemental rehab device used in this particular setting, it could also be a great way to bring the therapy home -- especially if the costs of traditional PT start to stack up!

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There are several video games out there that involve actual human movement in order to activate the players who appear on the screen. Nintendo's Wii system is a gaming phenomenon, especially with its tennis and golf games (both requiring the player to hold onto the joystick controller and swing it like a real racket or golf club). Video games are becoming virtual sports, making this once sedentary activity a bit more physical. In fact, researchers from West Virginia University not that long ago found that one video game in particular is actually helping kids improve their heart health and fitness levels.

The game is called "Dance Dance Revolution," and yes, if you've ever stepped foot inside a Dave & Buster's (basically, it's a Chuck 'e Cheese's for adults, with wall-to-wall video games and cocktail-serving barmaids), this is the game where people bounce around a light-up dance floor and make utter fools of themselves. Fortunately, there's a home version, so you can still reap the calorie-burning and heart-pumping benefits of dancing around like a crazy person, only you can save yourself the public embarrassment. More or less, it's the perfect thing for self-conscious kids who may want to lose weight, but aren't really comfortable enough to exercise with friends (or for the adult who simply wants a new, fun way to exercise).

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Anyone who thought video games were a waste of time have probably been surprised about Nintendo's latest and greatest, the Wii. It gets people active by using their arms and motions to simulate sports such as tennis, baseball, even bowling. But it doesn't stop there! A new useful application is emerging: surgical training.

Resident surgeons were found to perform better on simulated operations after playing a bit of Wii than those who opted out of the fun. How much better? They scored nearly 50 percent higher on tool control and performance.

Of course, not all games are going to improve coordination. Games that require subtle movements and precision are obviously better than those that require you to swing a bat. But this approach could be a very valuable medical training tool for countries which can't afford higher-end solutions. They are developing special software for the console, which costs only $250, that could hone surgical skills even more. Imagine bringing home your own copy of "Surgery 101" in the future!

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I don' t know much about Nintendo Wii, but I hear it's quite fun -- and pretty addicting too, which might not be a bad thing for kids and adults who need a little physical activity in their lives.

Wii, Nintendo's fifth home video game consule made popular by its wireless controller is all about gaming -- Super Mario Galaxy, Jenga, and The Golden Compass are three available games. It's also all about exercising, so much so that some health clubs are offering a new form of workout for those tired of traditional fitness activities. Wii workout stations allow clients to circuit train by punching, running, and jumping, thanks to the ease of the system's movement-sensitive controller.

Watching kids sweat in their living rooms while working the Wii is what prompted one health club owner to bring video games into the fitness environment.

"We're always trying to break down paradigms and keep things fresh," says Nathan Mellalieu, owner of Canada's Studeo 55. "It's used here to break up the monotony of traditional workouts."

Mellalieu estimates one session of Wii boxing, tennis, or bowling equals a brisk walk and can burn between 75 and 125 calories.

Wii professionals may not have been planning for an appearance on the fitness scene but now that they've arrived, they plan to stick around. They are currently developing Wii Fit, a 2008 video game with an array of activities, from yoga to aerobics.

Stay tuned for more Wii wonders.

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It's been in the works forever, but finally the Glucoboy for Gameboy is in production! Developed in coordination with Nintendo it's a way to make blood sugar testing, which can be a miserable chore for children, into a game. Kids get rewarded for testing on time and having blood sugar levels within the target range with points that unlock two full-length games and 3 short arcade-style games. They can also go online and "compete" with other kids, as well as ask questions and get other kinds of support.

Unfortunately right now Glucoboy is only available in Australia, but they're hoping to be marketing it in the States soon.

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So much for video games being easy. Thanks to Nintendo's Wii Fit, you can turn your living room into a virtual gym.

Wii Fit can calculate your body mass index (BMI) and then provide you with a customized workout plan to help you achieve what it also calculates to be your ideal BMI. Using a pressure-sensitive balance board, Wii Fit allows you to enjoy over forty types of physical fitness based games. From ski jumping to yoga, the Wii Fit makes a home workout, dare I say, fun.

But, you'll at least have to wait until after this holiday season to find the Wii Fit, as it will not be hitting stores until 2008. Until then, maybe you can play some of the current Wii games that are available. Research from a UK study revealed that playing active games on the Wii for thirty minutes a day can improve cardiovascular health and help a person lose up to 27 pounds over the course of a year.

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After playing with a friend's Nintendo DS a few days ago, I could not help but come away impressed. You see, the friend is a middle-aged person that's not a game player.

What was he playing? Brain Age 2, a non-game for the portable game player that has its sights set on helping memory skills in anyone that wants it.

The 'game' features quite a few brain teasers that I thought were very challenging. The execution of all of them (especially the Sudoku game) was excellent, and it's another reason why more people outside the regular gaming community opt for gaming systems like the Wii and DS game systems. Nintendo continues to impress me.

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More and more I continue to hear about how good the Nintendo Wii is for everyone, from the elderly to youngsters used to sedentary games with other gaming systems.

But when a gaming system can help those disabled by a stroke, that's where curiosity ends and fascination starts. Stroke victims are reportedly using those motion-sensing controllers supplied with the Wii to mimic real-world actions in order to get that sense of balance back (among other things).

Who would have ever thought that playing virtual tennis would help stroke victims to help them physically rehabilitate themselves? And the uses for the Wii continue to impress.

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After reading and writing many times about the Nintendo Wii in recent months, I concluded an awful lot of research this past weekend by finally buying one instead of 'borrowing Wii time' from people I knew. The first night was spent with the kids in front of the television set sweating our way to some exercise using the included Wii Sports game. I was instantly hooked, and I am not a gamer.

The Wii game system has surpassed sales of the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3 not on virtue of cutting-edge features and graphics, but on the interactiveness of the games and the sheer fun the Wii provides.

Well, how about using it in your exercise routine? Many are already doing this, and it makes a great addition to an existing weight loss plan or exercise plan (or both). It's odd that a game system can produce excellent exercise as a result of playing, but that is just what the Wii does. I can't wait for Winter so those outside days spent exercising inside can be enjoyed by some cool tennis games.

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A gym in Vancouver is being credited as the first gym in North America to officially incorporate the Nintendo Wii into its physical fitness offerings. Set up as a workout station in a 400 sq ft room with a projection TV, club members are encouraged to use the game console for everything from warm-ups and cool-downs to entire workouts. One session of boxing, tennis, or bowling on the Wii is thought to be equal to a brisk walk and burns 75-125 calories, so depending on what you're looking for it can definitely be a fun part of an overall fitness plan. Sounds more interesting than the treadmill to me!

Via Wii fanboy

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