Study Says Wii Can't Replace Workout

The British Medical Journal has found that the Wii's more active form of input does not provide enough activity to fight childhood obesity.

According to a BBC News article on the study, Professor Gareth Stratton and a team at John Moore’s University in Liverpool took six boys and five girls aged 13 to 15 and compared the number of calories they burned playing Xbox 360 versus playing the Wii.

The result showed that the youths burned 60 calories (in nutrition terms) more an hour playing Wii, a 2% increase in the amount of energy burned versus the Xbox 360 players. The study is quoted as saying that "these increases were of insufficient intensity to contribute towards recommendations for children's daily exercise,” and that active gaming using the Wii is no replacement for actual sports.

The study did concede that while the actual calorie-burning benefits of the Wii were trivial, the activity that the Wii inspires could aid in weight management programs by encouraging general activity and positive behavior.

News-Source: Next-Gen