With obesity on the rise in children and adults, promoting fitness and healthy eating is more important than ever. In today’s electronic age of dvd’s, computers, and video games it’s really hard to get off the couch and get some exercise. However, I think it just got a little easier, that is if you have a Nintendo Wii.

Wii Fit, slated for release on 5/21/08, is a video game created to get gamers active with simple exercises made fun and entertaining. Nintendo maintains that if you use Wii Fit a little every day, you can work toward personal goals for better health and fitness. The game comes packaged with a Wii Balance Board. It helps to measure your BMI (Body Mass Index), and the technology also charts your progress.

Wii Fit features four training modes: Balance Games, Aerobics, Yoga, and Strength Training. From each of these groups are over 40 exercises and activities designed to improve fitness. The game ensures that you don’t take on too much too soon by progressively unlocking new exercises as you master the ones given. The game walks you through on how to do the exercises correctly, especially helpful with yoga, times your session, and lets you know when you’ve done thirty minutes.

The drawbacks to Wii Fit are few as far as I can tell, but then I’m not a doctor or fitness expert. One of the things I noticed is that the Wii Board can only support about 330 lbs so it’s not for everyone, which is a pity. Also, the BMI is based off of your weight, which sometimes can be wrong. If you’re athletic, it can overestimate your body fat because you have more muscle, and it can underestimate your body fat if you’re older or don’t have a lot of muscle mass.