The percentage of obesity in America’s population in 2000 was reportedly a staggering 31%, with childhood obesity more than tripling over the past two decades. (1) Keeping these statistics in mind it is obvious that exercising is not a top priority in US households. The United States is now known for being an obese country, filled with couch potatoes and over weight children. Which many say is in part due to watching TV and playing video games. Well now with the new video game console, the Wii, the once unhealthy habit of playing video games has developed into a healthier choice, while keeping the activity an enjoyable experience for children and adults alike. The Wii, released by Nintedo in the U.S on November 19, 2006 has become the new exercise craze world wide. Nintedo had unintentionally combined the entertainment of video games with what many Americans seem to think is a hassle, exercise!
The goal of the Wii was originally not to promote exercise, but to target a bigger demographic and apparently Nintendo has done just that, selling 7.38 million consoles in the U.S as of January 5, 2008. (2) So what is a Wii exactly? Wii, pronounced “we”, is a new video game console by Nintedo with dimension 1.73″ x 6.18″ x 8.48″, Nintendo’s smallest home console. Unlike most video games the controllers are not attached to the console but are cordless, and this is where the exercise comes into play. Wii remotes use a combination of built-in accelerometers and infrared detection which allows players to simulate movement within the game. No longer are players just exercising their thumbs but they are now exercising their whole bodies.
Lyssa Lott a freshman at the University of Miami can attest to the exercising capabilities of the Wii. Having played the Wii numerous times, Lyssa has experienced the muscle soreness acquainted with actual working out. Lott says “The Wii has made exercise fun! I usually play the Wii hours at a time with my boyfriend. Although the graphics aren’t that great you cant help but get into the game!” Like Lott, many gamers have realized that the Wii is not just a game, but an actual work out. Also, Lyssa agrees that the Wii has successfully targeted a large demographic, “my mom plays sometimes and I’ve even heard that they now have Wii consoles in some retirement homes to keep residents active.” Many gamers even began to chart their progress health wise with the Wii. One man who has a web page dedicated to his research lost 9lbs within a month and a half playing Wii for thirty minutes every day. (3)
Nintedo has now capitalized on the idea of the Wii as exercise. In early January of this year, Nintendo released Wii Fit, a collection of games that promote exercise as well as fun. “Many of these activities focus towards providing a ‘core’ workout, a popular exercise method that emphasizes slower, controlled motions.”(4) Wii fit consists of several activities including yoga, aerobics, and muscle stretches. With the release of Wii Fit Nintendo plans to soon release “the Wii balance board” (name not final), which is used to measure a person’s center of pressure. With Wii Fit and “the balance board” one can see their work out results and progress through a new menu option. Although Lott has yet to invest in Wii Fit, she plans to do so in the near future. With Wii Fit Lyssa believe she will definitely see progress in her health, “The Wii is a game that anyone can easily get hooked on for hours, and I am sure the same goes for the Fit program. Working out hours at a time will not seem so bad when its with the Wii!” Also, scheduled to be released by Nintendo are the Wii Zapper (gun like remote) and the Wii Wheel (similar to the steering wheel of a car) which will allow one to get more active when playing driving games or shooting games.
Although the Wii may not be the solution to the obesity issue in the US, it may be a step forth towards a weight loss revolution. If Nintendo can unintentionally turn a video game made for leisure into an exercise phenomenon, then imagine the possibilities if other video game companies created video games with a purpose for fitness. By taking a concept not commonly associated with fitness and manipulating it for that purpose, there is a great possibility that it can dramatically decrease the amount of people not only suffering from obesity, but also the people at risk of becoming obese just based on the size of the market video game companies already appeal to. Attitudes towards this new found fitness technique are expected to be ones of enthusiasm. As Lyssa Lott exclaimed ”after four years of being inactive, it’s refreshing to have a new way to work out without even feeling like I’m working out and I believe the Wii can make a big difference in weight loss.” The Wii has revolutionized from a simple video game console to the “New Exercise Phenomenon”.
(1) http://www.americansportsdata.com/obesityresearch.asp
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii
(3) http://wiinintendo.net/2007/01/15/wii-sports-experiment-results/
(4) http://e3nin.nintendo.com/wii_fit.html
This is a really interesting topic. I’ve always been amazed how tired I am after playing the Wii so I’m not surprised at its effects. I liked the videos in your blog!
Incorporating exercise into videogames has got to the the greatest innovation for fat nerdy kids since…. forever. I only wished that they had Wii when I was growing up and being a bum.
What is the most active game that Nintendo has out for their Wii?