I don’t know about you but I am getting sick of being guilt tripped about health and fitness. The other week I was round at a friend’s place and had a go on Wii fit, a game that up until that point I had avoided like the plague. Now don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the importance of keeping fit and staying healthy. But as far as I could see the game was just a way for Nintendo to make money out of something you’d probably be doing anyway.
I’d heard from a lot of people that Wii fit makes you think you’re much more unfit than you really are, and sure enough when I stepped (with some trepidation) onto the scales the game informed me that I was very overweight. Now, I’m not claiming to be the picture of perfect fitness – I’m not supermodel skinny and although I do get regular exercise and eat healthily most of the time, I know I could probably be fitter. But I’m not fat, and I’m certainly not obese. It’s hardly surprising Wii fit has had so many complaints, when you think how many people already have body issues because of the media constantly telling us that we should all look like Kate Moss or Angelina Jolie.
It’s true that obesity is a problem in society, especially amongst children and young people, but is making everyone feel bad about themselves really the best way to deal with it? The latest initiative being tested in Liverpool to combat obesity is to stop it before it becomes an issue, by giving all children under the age of five free gym memberships. The existing scheme of free memberships for children of school age is one thing, but surely under fives should be getting all their necessary exercise from their normal daily play? And if not then perhaps the real issue in society is not overweight children, but the question of why they are not able to play as they should anymore.
For myself, Wii fit succeeded in making me feel bad for a grand total of five minutes. Then I remembered my healthy diet, regular exercise and that I don’t drink too much or eat fast food, and realised that I don’t have anything to feel guilty about. And I’ve since found a brilliant new way of staying fit without taking too much time out of my routine – FitFlops. Flip flops that are made to give you a workout and help tone your legs as you go about your day – genius!
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