It's official - Wii use can cause weight loss Options

[dauss]

http://news.com.com/Its+official-Wii+use+c..._3-6151818.html

Video gamers who'd rather battle virtual villains than fight the flab can take heart. Use of the new Nintendo Wii can lead to weight loss.

After six weeks and 21 hours of total game play on Nintendo's new game console, Philadelphia resident Mickey DeLorenzo is nine pounds lighter and making a splash with his new svelte self.

"I'm on my 15 minutes here," he joked, referring to the famous Andy Warhol quote about 15 minutes of fame, in a telephone interview with Reuters on Friday.

DeLorenzo, 25, came up with the idea for his experiment after he and his fiancee ended up breathless and glistening with sweat after virtually pummeling each other in the Wii Sports boxing game.

"On the fly, as I was typing my blog posts, I set up a daily regimen and went at it 100 percent," said DeLorenzo, who tipped the scales at 181 pounds--where he's been for the last couple years--when he started the experiment on December 3.

He ate as usual and didn't deprive himself during the holidays. The only thing that changed was the addition of daily, 30-minute sessions of Wii tennis, bowling, boxing or baseball.

DeLorenzo chronicled his progress on his blog at WiiNintendo.net with weight-loss charts and "before" and "after" pictures--including Wiimotes--as well as shots recalling Rocky Balboa, the City of Brotherly Love's most famous fictional resident.

While he expected to shed a couple pounds, DeLorenzo got more than he bargained for.

"Seeing the 'before' and 'after' pictures, I am going to keep doing it. I am going to add some weights to the next round because I don't want to shrink to nothing," said DeLorenzo, who said he had never before dieted or worked out to lose weight.

More projects are already in the works.

DeLorenzo said a fitness Web site already has asked him to help it create Wii workouts and that he owns the Internet address WiiWorkout.net, which for now, links to his blog.

He's betting that Nintendo will soon have its own workout game. And no, the Japanese game giant hasn't called.

Visits to DeLorenzo's blog have jumped--he's been the subject of numerous blog posts and news stories on major mainstream media outlets--but his fame has not come without a price.

The bill for the extra Web traffic was $80 two days ago and has likely climbed. He's adding ads to his site to offset the cost, but said even if he comes out in the red on this venture, it's all been worth it.

"It's been a wild ride. It's been great."

In other breaking news, physical activity burns calories.

[Spectatrix]

People found that DDR was effective as exercise, so why should Wii use be any different?

[Divergent Realit...]

People found that DDR was effective as exercise, so why should Wii use be any different?

because the wii is new, yellow, different.

[chook]

ddr is bad on the knees

[Testm0nkey]

so is running, walking, squats


if you are noticing weight loss from pure wii use you are probably a huge fatty. i cant imagine its a decent aerobic activity for a healthy person

video games

[Spectatrix]

ddr is bad on the knees

DDR is hard on my pride. I found that little gem out yesterday.

[RitalinJunkie]

I'm sad that all the ddr machines in town went away =(

That was what kept me from blowing up for a long time.

[Divergent Realit...]

I'm sad that all the ddr machines in town went away =(

That was what kept me from blowing up for a long time.

caboose doesnt have one any more?

[pysex]

caboose doesnt have one any more?

nope

they have a punching bag machine now

[FORSAKENR320]

i punched a 1130 on one of those once. was quite proud

[chook]

I want to get some pads for the xbox.

[TetraGrammaton C...]

the boxing game looked like you could flail away and get some good exercise.
as for bowling/tennis/baseball, i think you would have to get very little exercise to benefit from that.
or i guess you could jump around like a jackass with muppet hands the entire time.

[Divergent Realit...]

or i guess you could jump around like a jackass with muppet hands the entire time.

thats how i imagine these people playing.

[Seussninja]

so is running, walking, squats
if you are noticing weight loss from pure wii use you are probably a huge fatty. i cant imagine its a decent aerobic activity for a healthy person

video games

They should just not do anything because they are fat lol!

But seriously sometimes it takes something that hits closer to home to get someone interested in fitness (like DDR or playing the Wii) which can lead to more traditional workouts. Lots of nerdy people are scared to hit the gym in fear of ridicule but getting used to excercise and finding out that its not really that bad change opinions.

I played a lot of DDR before i really got into traditional weight lifting and cardio. I've lost probably at least 35 pounds since last fall upon starting my true workout regiment.

[chook]

I bought me some pads yesterday

[The Fanatic]

Go outside...

[Divergent Realit...]

Go outside...

not the answer.

i can go outside. i do so every day.

it doesnt help me gain muscle mass or increase my cardio capacity.

you gotta work that wiggle jiggle off.

or in my case, build muscle to hide the bones.

[The Fanatic]

walk everywhere

[cupcake]

when I first saw that the wii was motion-sensitive and had sport games, my first thought was, jokingly: "sweet...this will be the most athletic many of the players have been since elementary PE"

at which point, I thought that was a pretty arrogant/dickheadish thing to say, and tried to make myself feel bad for saying it. (I'm trying to be more sensitive).

then I read this article...and apparently I am right. what kind of shit shape do you have to be in to lose weight from the wii?

does anyone actually think that playing wii tennis is going to motivate one to join a tennis club?

have years of playing tony hawk made any of you get out and skate nonstop until you got rad? which is several years of pain. I think not.

I think the wii is a rad concept. I also think the guy in the article needs more than a videogame.

[impala454]

well you have to think about what this does for video games. is the wii going to turn a lazy fat person who does nothing but play video games into a chiseled mr olympia? no. does it make the fat lazy person who does nothing but play video games have more physical activity than they normally would? yes.

what the wii does is show us how video games will eventually have the ability to keep a person in shape while entertaining at the same time. check this out for a more "futuristic" version of what wii represents: http://www.virtusphere.com/

imho technology like this brings video games and the gym very close together, and would help a lot of people who otherwise might not exercise. i know that back when i actually had a routine going, it was much easier for me to do a full 30 mins on the ellptical when i had headphones and could plug in and watch TV. if you can exercise and enjoy it at the same time, you're much more likely to do it.

[cupcake]

I read you.

ok then...is the evolution of things like the wii going to replace playing sports? (not "sports", they are too entertaining and will always be around for fans, but I'm talking about your average kid playing sports).

like, if I am rad at virtual basketball, then I go and play pickup on the playground and I totally SUCK (which I do...man I suck hard, but I like it)...it will be much more easy for kids to be all frustrated and just go back indoors and be all Kobe instead of fighting through it and gaining skill and strength.

"on tony hawk I can grind a power line!" yeah...but out here you get winded just trying to skate a straight line.

is the virtual deal gonna take over the real deal? is there gonna be a huge divide between levels of athleticism? the virtula populace...and the true competitors?

[impala454]

oh no way... a virtual game of basketball would never take over a real game. all i'm saying is that a virtual game of basketball where the person has to jump and run and such will get the kid exercise, as opposed to basketball video games of today where you sit on your ass with a controller.

although i will add that there's been enough research to conclude that video games are huge in helping your hand/eye coordination

[Mommy]

I bought a Wii and lost 15 lbs in just 3 weeks! Thanks Nintendo Wii...and my boyfriend thanks you too!

[Seussninja]

I bought a Wii and lost 15 lbs in just 3 weeks! Thanks Nintendo Wii...and my boyfriend thanks you too!

Isn't being a negative weight a physical impossibility?