It’s very sad when I see a child that is grossly overweight. They come home from school and immediately plop themselves down in front of the computer, TV or video game. It’s no wonder that some gaming companies are saying, if you can’t bet ‘em, join ‘em.

One of the hottest toys this holiday season was the Nintendo Wii gaming console.

The Nintendo Wii is different from regular video games because it uses a motion-sensitive wireless controller that simulates sports, like bowling, golf and tennis. Other active video games, such as Dance Dance Revolution and Sony’s EyeToy, have gain in popularity as well with kids and parents alike.

Children who play video games like the Nintendo Wii will burn more calories than if they were playing regular sedentary video games. That’s a given, but by how much and is it enough to forgo playing outside?

The most active game, Wii Tennis, did not score high points in the calorie burning department. Kids ages 13 to 15, playing real tennis for an hour burn about 270 calories, while Wii Tennis burns about 179, and playing the Xbox for an hour burns about 107 calories. A child at rest burns about 70 calories.

While Nintendo is at least trying to make games that get kids active, they still need more intense physical activity each day. It’s a start in the right direction, but is not enough to combat childhood obesity.

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