The truth about Wii and weight loss

Truth about Wii and weight loss

Nintendo’s Wii Fit video game has been endorsed by health departments, taught in schools and is even being used by surgeons to warm up before operations. But can the new generation of ‘active’ computer games really help you lose weight?

True: Active video games can help you burn calories

Recently, the American Council on Exercise tested the cardio and energy impact of six of the most challenging Wii Fit activities: Free Run, Island Run, Free Step, Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoop, and Rhythm Boxing.

It found that the most challenging of these, Island Run and Free Run, burned an average 5.5 calories per minute or around 165 calories per 30 minutes, which compares well to a brisk walk. But the researchers point out that none of the activities, even the most challenging, would maintain or improve cardio respiratory endurance. In other words, the activities may help you burn some calories but they won't boost your aerobic fitness.

False: A virtual run is the same as the real thing

In addition, the ACE study found that the energy used for the Wii activities was unimpressive – when compared to the real thing. In all cases, the calories burned by the actual exercise burns many more calories than the virtual version, for example, a jog around the park burns more calories than playing Island Run.

Similarly, research carried out by Liverpool John Moores University found that "playing new generation active computer games uses significantly more energy than playing sedentary computer games but not as much energy as playing the sport itself".

The Liverpool study looked specifically at the energy expenditure of teenagers playing Wii Sports compared to other, more sedentary, video games. It concluded that “the energy used when playing active Wii Sports games was not of high enough intensity to contribute towards the recommended daily amount of exercise in children”.

So what’s the upshot of all this? Well, if you use the Wii Fit during time that you’d normally be watching TV or surfing the net, the Wii is good news. But if you replace regular exercise time with time on the Wii, you’re not doing yourself any favours.

Waning interest

Scott Owens, a professor of exercise science at the University of Mississippi in the US took a different angle.  His study attempted to replicate the average family’s use of a Wii to see if their fitness improved. Eight families were loaned a console for a period of three months. Their fitness was measured at the beginning and end of that period.

Overall the study found little change for the families as a whole. The one bright spot was a minor improvement in the kids’ aerobic fitness.

Owens believes there are a number of reasons for the result. Firstly, the use of the game dropped dramatically over the three month period from around 22 minutes a day in the first six weeks to around four minutes a day during the last six weeks. In general, the children used the game more than the adults, which may account for their slight fitness boost. Secondly, Owens said, the people in the study "were fairly fit already”. A more sedentary group may have had a different result.

So, if the result was due to people not using it, rather than the game itself, can the Wii be used to help weight loss?  According to Owens, “the bottom line in weight loss is the total amount of calories you burn”. That means if you use the Wii to help put your energy equation into deficit, you will lose weight.

Something is better than nothing

Last month the American Heart Association teamed up with Nintendo to create a healthy living program. Explaining the partnership, the AHA said: “participating in an actual sport is usually more vigorous than active gaming. But active gaming compares very well with sitting on the couch.”

So if you have a Nintendo Wii at home, don’t let it sit there gathering dust while you watch TV – you need to use it to lose it.

And remember Wii Fit and Wii Sport are not the only fitness games that will work with the Wii console and balance board. There are new and improved fitness and weight-loss titles which are yet to be studied by researchers including the NewU Fitness First Personal Trainer and, of course, The Biggest Loser Game.