The American Heart Association and Nintendo Co. are reported to be fastening their belts to promote the popular Wii video game console, as the health advocacy group posts that its campaign for traditional exercise has failed.

“We can keep beating the drum on traditional exercise and make small changes to the obesity epidemic, or we can try something that is really provocative and new,” Clyde Yancy, the AHA’s President, said in an interview.

The conglomeration, announced Monday, emerges amid growing concern related to obesity among kids who spend much of their time watching television and playing video games.

Nintendo is revealed to donate $1.5 million to the Dallas-based AHA as part of the partnership.

Nintendo’s Wii Fit gaming system stands against the conventional wisdom with regard to video games. The exercise game consists of activities that will assist in losing weight and have fun from the comfort of your living room.

It includes a special “balance board” that senses the position of the player when gaming apart from assessing the player’s body mass index (BMI). Its launch witnessed huge backing by an ad campaign demonstrating people keeping fit.

Wii’s competing game console giants Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp., cognizant of the Wii’s soaring popularity, are also manufacturing motion controllers.

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Submitted by Ketan Mukherjee
topnews.net.nz