Opinion: Nintendo Wii is not a cure for obesity

Childhood obesity is a terrible thing, and the UK government is determined to do something about it. Today the Department of Health endorsed proposals to use the Nintendo Wii as part of its curriculum for PE lessons in schools. The Daily Mail reports that the scheme has already been trialled in five schools in Worcestershire, and now plans are afoot for a nationwide rollout.

According to a spokesman from the DoH: “We welcome the positive impact that innovations like these can have as a first step towards getting people to participate in a range of physical activities and to enjoy the many benefits of an active lifestyle.”

It sounds rather lovely and optimistic, but we’ve got some reservations. The fact remains that playing on the Wii is in no way a cure for obesity. A recent report from the British Medical Journal found that active video games “significantly increased participantsÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ energy expenditure” compared to other systems, but it still wasn’t a substitute for running around in a field and doing some real sport.

Furthermore, it should be noted that using the motion sensitive Wiimote has players moving in a very limited and predetermined fashion. It’s not a complete body workout by any means, as anyone who’s played Wii Sports can readily attest. It’s patently absurd for anyone - least of all teachers, parents and politicians - to think the case could be otherwise.

Of course, all that might change when Wii Fit is released over here. But is the government really going to demand that schools use their dwindling budgets to buy Wii consoles and balance boards? Shouldn’t they be spending the money on more precious resources like books and computers? Or what about a better stocked canteen which served nutritionally balanced food?

Worse, what happens to the school playing fields if they’re not being used properly? Will they fall into disuse and disrepair? Or will they get sold off in order to pay for Wii consoles?

There is indeed an obesity epidemic in our schools, and the government is right to be doing something about it. British children are among the most overweight in the world, with around one million obese children under 16. But there’s an even greater danger that the government is pinning their hopes on a games console whose health benefits are wildly overestimated.

Don’t get us wrong, we love the Wii. But it’s only a games console, nothing more, nothing less. If we want some proper exercise, we go for a bike ride in the park.

Via MCV