Wii – Kids Burn 40% More Calories Says Research

via spong

New research commissioned by Liverpool John Moores University has shown that kids who regularly play Wii games burn up a significantly larger amount of calories than kids who play other consoles, or spend their time passively watching TV.

Not really surprising news for anybody who’s had a good workout on Wii Sports or WarioWare: Smooth Moves of late, but still good to hear nonetheless.

The study, headed-up by John Moore’s researcher Professor, Tim Cable, claims that regular use of Wii could help kids shift 27lb (12.25kg) a year.

Prof. Cable said: "Through our testing it is clear that the motion sensor-controlled console can make an impact on a child's heart rate, energy expenditure and the amount of calories burned… Research from GameVision's Consumer Intelligence Report shows that, on average, gamers in the UK currently spend around 12.2 hours a week playing computer games. Therefore, it is important to promote as much activity as possible during this time."

Cable’s study was based on measuring the impact of playing Wii and of playing a traditional non-motion-controlled console on five girls and seven boys, aged between 13 and 15.

15 minutes of play using a traditional controller increased the subject’s energy expenditure above resting values by an average of 60%. With a Wii controller this was increased to a whopping 156%.

Heart rates also increased to 130 beats per minute while playing Wii, compared with 85 beats per minute with a traditional console.

In an average kid's gaming week, based on GameVision's estimate of 12.2 hours, this means there is a potential 1,830 calories burned per week when using Wii which works out as 40% more than when using a traditional controller.