Playing sport with Wii won't burn off the fat, says study

The_B_Man

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20071221/tts-health-obesity-it-gaming-d585a99_1.html wrote:

PARIS (AFP) - Parents are fooling themselves if they hope Nintendo's Wii active games console, which uses a wireless handheld controller to replicate athletic movement, will stop their youngster becoming obese, a study says.

Researchers in sport science at Liverpool John Moores University in northwestern England recruited six boys and five girls aged 13-15 years and fitted them with a monitoring device to calculate energy expenditure.

The teens played four games for 15 minutes.

One of the four games was Project Gotham Racing 3, played on the sedentary XBOX 350, made by Microsoft.

The three other games were sports bowling, tennis and boxing, played on Wii Sports, with a five-minute rest between sports.

In all, the children played on the consoles for one hour.

Energy expenditure using Wii was "significantly greater" -- 51 percent more -- than on the XBOX, the scientists found.

But this figure alone is misleading, as the total number of extra energy units burned using Wii amounted to only 60 calories per hour, or about a quarter of a Mars bar.

"In a typical week of computer play for these participants, active gaming rather than passive gaming would increase total energy expenditure by less than two percent," says the study.

Even though the amount is "trivial," it might still make a contribution to weight management, the study admits.

And it says, a game that prompts a teenager to practise basic motor control and fundamental movement skills is a plus.

"Given the current prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, such positive behaviours should be encouraged," it says.

Even so, nothing is a substitute for getting out of the home and doing sport itself.

"The energy used when playing Wii Sports games was not of high enough intensity to contribute towards the recommended daily amount of exercise in children," say the authors.

The study is released on Friday by the weekly British Medical Journal, which carries it in its Saturday edition.

no surprise, but still, better than nothin!

1huge1

Well they have a point its not going to work miracles but its better than nothing

steveland?

I'd imagine playing Wii Boxing alone every day for 20 minutes or so would be good exercise though. There's a lot of movement involved and it's very hard to play sitting down.

Any parent who thinks playing the Wii is a good substitute for actual exercise or giving their kid a healthy diet is just stupid though... The kids will get square eyes!

subway

that xbox 350 sounds intriguing

Trojan

It's better than nothing. Hey, wear some wrist weights, that'll help.

Mr E

I read this on Nintendo's News Channel on my Wii last night. </irony>
All that pointing and clicking was tiring me out, so I had a late night snack.

GhostInTheRuins

Did anyone actually think playing Wii sports equal to playing real sports? Some people are so stupid.

But still, it's better than nothing I suppose.

GuanYin

Interestingly, I wore a pulse monitor while playing wii boxing (and only wii boxing) when I first got it.

I calorie burning over 30 minutes was about 30% of what a martial arts training session usually gives me, but I'd say my upper body muscle workout was far greater.

seraphimvc

i am shocked that people actually believe wii can be a part of 'standard exercise'?:D lol to this news

1huge1

Well there is a point with wii boxing
you can really tire yourself after a hard session with that and I wouldnt consider myself unfit like

rockbeer

Seems to work for this guy:

http://www.wiinintendo.net/2007/01/15/wii-sports-experiment-results/

mawk

well wii boxing IS the only that could claim to be energetic.

the other you just play sat down and with tiny movements

steveland?

Have any Japanese companies done any studies on Wii Fit yet? (that's only out in Japan by now isn't it?)

I'd imagine the stepping exercises and so forth that that game gives you would be pretty good health wise (or at least equal to getting a stepper and sitting in front of a video/DVD telling you what to do)

rockbeer

It's all relative to where you're starting from and how you play.

If you're a fit person who plays football, runs, swims, and plays the wii sitting down with a beer it probably won't do much for you.

If you're a blob who's normal exercise routine involves geting dressed, and you play wii boxing and wii tennis on your feet with energy, it definitely isn't going to make things any worse for you.

FunkZ

Ah Wii Boxing and a healthy diet should be good

Cully

Personally I can't wait for Wii Fit... I realise it's not like jogging, but it's still pretty good... and I like the tacky games There's a dance game part in there I'm sure I'll like.

Smyths in Dublin had March 2008 as the release date on their boards yesterday... A lot of websites and places say "Jan 2008", but that was the intended release date from ages back and is wrong (as far as I know).

mawk wrote: »

well wii boxing IS the only that could claim to be energetic.

the other you just play sat down and with tiny movements

I can beat the top guy on Wii Boxing while sat down and barely moving. (I don't normally, but I can).

steveland? wrote: »

Have any Japanese companies done any studies on Wii Fit yet? (that's only out in Japan by now isn't it?)

I'd imagine the stepping exercises and so forth that that game gives you would be pretty good health wise (or at least equal to getting a stepper and sitting in front of a video/DVD telling you what to do)

It's still not equal to real excercise, but it's as good as a game is gonna get. (unless you count Dance Dance Revolution, which involves lots of physical activity)