Since its release, stores have not been able to keep the newest of Nintendo’s gaming systems – the Wii – on the shelves. Often, used systems sell for more than new ones due to their “availability factor.” The factor that remains part of the system’s appeal to parents and educators is movement. Many parents and educators tout the Wii as bridging the gap between the active child (who might typically gravitate toward sports) and the “couch potato” child (who might typically gravitate towards video games.

A recent study, however, has shown the game doesn’t prompt enough movement to make much of a difference in a kid’s overall fitness, and, therefore, shouldn’t become a replacement for exercise.

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom studied six boys and five girls ages 13 to 15 while they played four computer games. The study results showed that roughly 60 more calories per hour were expended on the Wii than on the sedentary game.

The co-author of the study, Tim Cable, added warning by referring to the intensity of the exercise, which is not intense enough to count for the recommended daily quota. Cable concluded there was probably 25 percent less energy expended on the game than would be on the same sport that the game simulated (i.e., bowling, tennis, etc…).

In turn, though some activity may be better than no activity, parents and educators should beware that if the Wii is used to replace exercise, or decrease its felt need, the students may end up worse off in the long run in regard to their fitness and health.

(LA Times)

How do you address the issues of fitness and health with your students? Do you use the Wii as a component of your ministry? How do you feel it competes with other gaming systems in regard to “crowd appeal?”