The American Heart Association Joins Forces With… Nintendo
Guess what, folks? Nintendo’s Wii Fit Console has been endorsed by the American Heart Association. Nintendo is now allowed to put the AHA’s “heart check” logo on this and related products. According to a press release by Nintendo:
Recent research indicates that the average person spends more than eight hours of each day sitting down*. The American Heart Association has been conducting its own studies to investigate the reasons why many Americans aren’t more physically active. In a recent survey, more than half of respondents identified lack of time as one of the main obstacles preventing them from enjoying regular physical activity. Of those who almost never exercise, nearly 40 percent said that “exercise is not fun.” The American Heart Association and Nintendo aim to help eliminate these common barriers with a call to action that motivates people to “Get Informed,” “Get Empowered” and “Get Active.”
“Nintendo has been helping people get up off the couch and get playing since the Wii system launched in 2006,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “By joining forces with the American Heart Association, we further our commitment to bringing fun and accessible active-play video games to a broader audience.”
But does the Wii Fit actually make exercise more fun? Perhaps if you’re a shut in… but when my kids did a test drive a while back, the verdict was “booooorrrrrrring.”
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns]
That’s a parody, but it actually describes our experience pretty well.
Ok, but hey – it’s better than nothing… right? If I were heading up the AHA, perhaps I’d be ready to grasp at straws, too… eh?
Maybe… but then again, maybe the AHA is also grasping at a little more than just straws. According to my “Heartwire” newsletter (free registration required):
The AHA heart logo, which will appear on the Nintendo Wii system, as well as video games Wii Fit and Wii Sports Resort, is part of a nationwide program to let consumers know that the organization considers the system and games healthy choices. Normally, however, the heart-check seal of approval is seen on food packaging, such as Cheerios, where it shows consumers that it meets criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol.
As part of the partnership, Nintendo is donating $1.5 million to the AHA.
Funny how Nintendo doesn’t mention this “donation.”
After looking around, I’m gonna have to cast my lot with the critics on this one…
“There are critics, however, with some questioning whether the system deserves the AHA thumbs-up and specifically questioning just how much exercise kids are going to get from these games. Dr Janet Fulton (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA) told ABC news the evidence is inconclusive regarding the health benefits, particularly since “real sports” burn more calories than the video-game versions. Others questioned the endorsement of a commercial product, but Yancy told ABC news the AHA logo is not for sale and that his greater concern is not engaging the millions of inactive people in the US.”
Props to Dr. Fulton. I looked around Nintendo’s Wii Fit site, and found exactly nada to show that using the Wii Fit makes a significant contribution to one’s cardiovascular fitness or overall health. I’m not claiming (yet) that it can’t or doesn’t, but shouldn’t some sort of controlled study of the benefits (if any) be a prerequisite for an AHA endorsement? If the sole criterion is a desire to engage “the millions of inactive people in the US,” then the door’s wide open. Why not stamp the AHA’s logo on the Shake Weight, Jump Snap or “Easy Tone” walking shoes too?
I’m all for getting people moving, and if the Wii Fit floats their boat, then I’m fine with that… it IS better than nothing, after all. But IMHO, the AHA is a serious, well-regarded organization… thus, the bar should be set a little higher than it (apparently) is. Nintendo should have had to cough up some data, along with the money, to get the organization’s approval.
May 20, 2010
The American Heart Association Joins Forces With… Nintendo – http://blog.ultimatefatburner.com/2010/0…
May 20, 2010
The American Heart Association Joins Forces With… Nintendo – http://blog.ultimatefatburner.com/2010/0…
May 21, 2010
In this case it looks like “money talks”. I have never done Wii Fit, but a friend of mine has it. He and his family have used it twice, in 4 months. That dosen’t sound like a very good fitness program.
I am sure the “donation” had a little to do the the “stamp of approval”.
May 21, 2010
Bingo. That’s the other thing that bugs me about the whole thing… beyond the issue of the program’s potential to improve fitness, there’s the reality of whether it actually gets used or not.
It’s money well-spent for Nintendo: that AHA logo can’t help but attract parents who think they’re doing something good for their kids. And they get bragging rights over how the company is doing its part to increase awareness of fitness, blah, blah, blah. The PR is worth its weight in gold – they’ll make their money back many times over.
I’d just as soon see Nike get this sort of “seal of approval” – at least they’d be able to quantify the number of people using their Nike+ program regularly, since users can upload and track their workouts using their online system.