Study: Wii kids lose weight

Back in January a Philadephia man called Mickey DeLorenzo claimed on his blog that he had lost nine pounds playing Wii Sports for 30 minutes a day for a month.

Now research undertaken at a UK university seems to back up the claim--Liverpool John Moores University has published findings that state that playing "active" games using the Wii controllers could lead to 27 pounds being lost in a year.

The study used a sample of five girls and seven boys between 13 and 15 years old and tracked the gamers through three key measures of energy expenditure, calories burned, and heart rate. It was found that during 15 minutes of play using a traditional controller, energy expenditure increased above resting values by 60 percent, and when using the Wii console, the figure rose to 156 percent.

Heart rate was also faster when using the Wii, reaching up to 130 beats per minute, compared to 85 with more-traditional games.

Professor Tim Cable, lead researcher on the report, commented, "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... Active consoles such as the Wii could provide a means of motivating children who are less active. However, parents should encourage other physical activities and outdoor pursuits in order for their children to lead well balanced lives."