Wii Fit - A good fit for you ?

I came across a recent article in Forbes Magazine, written by Bonnie Ruberg. In it she questions whether the 1.5 million units of the video game Wii-Fit are actually making a difference in the overall health of families who have purchased them.

As a traditional gym guy, of course I tend to be on the skeptical side of this phenomenon. However, as a person who really wants to see people get healthy, regardless of the method, I think I have to be open to the idea at least.

In the piece Ruberg put the "fad" question to expert Brian Crecente, managing editor of the gaming blog Kotaku. In his opinion it's just that, calling Wii Fit it, "little more than an exercise fad that's bound to come and go like any other."

I say, "Really Brian? Like Suzanne Summers Thigh Master of the early 90's I suppose. Crecente goes on to say, "I don't know a single person who has bought the game who uses it routinely after a month," The question is, how many people does Brian actually know? Just how big is his gaming circle of friends?

One thing I have to agree on is that the Forbes article has a great point. Crecente says Nintendo tapped into peoples desire to be healthier and then really hit the nail on the head, stating what I've said myself a million times, "Everyone wants to work out, but nobody really wants to put the effort into it."

Touché, Bri, you got it. Everybody is still looking for that magic pill, a way to get all the gain without the pain. I think science is getting closer to that but not yet.

In the Forbes piece, Ruberg writes that even Wii Fit creator Shigeru Miyamoto has said that the game is less about people losing weight and more about broadening the videogame market.

I say, hey, if you're not on the couch and you're standing up moving, good for you. I have played bowling on the regular Wii and broken a major sweat. I don't think I'll be using it to train for any fitness contests, but if mom or grandma gets the old ticker beating a few times faster than they normally would watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire then don't we have to acknowledge some benefit?

I'm waiting for the virtual reality game where I put on some sort of headgear and can see myself running down the beach chasing Brooke Burke or Carmen Electra. You know, maybe get some points for hurdling kids building sand castles or dodging jellyfish. Certainly I'm not the first to think of that...am I?

My point is, if you're thinking about purchasing a Wii instead of a gym membership, not so fast. Put your cash on a gym. But if you want to motivate a couch potato to get off their butt, maybe Wii Fit is a good start?