I doubt Jamie Oliver had anything to do with this.

For me, PE at School meant Dodgeball, Tennis, Football, and Rugby. Things have changed. The UK Government has formally endorsed the use of Nintendo’s Wii in Physical Education lessons.

We reported two weeks ago that a PE teacher in America had bought seven Wiis to introduce into his lessons. Some thought he was mad, others were jealous they weren’t still at school. However, he wasn’t the only sports teacher to have the brain wave.

A Wii initiative has been carried out in Worcestershire, England, where five schools in the region have boasted positive heart rate-quickening results to The Daily Mail:

“The use of computer games to increase physical activity levels and raise attainment to some would seem contradictory, but with rigid structures in place and by using specific games students soon found themselves being active and engaged almost without realising it,” enthused a spokesperson for the initiative.

The Government has now endorsed proposals to stretch the use of the Nintendo Wii into PE lessons nationwide. This is contrary to a study in the British Medical Journal that stated there was only a 2% increase of calories lost while playing the active Wii, compared to playing an Xbox 360. Who said twiddling your thumbs didn’t make you thin?

Although the Government’s decision is pleasing after the Buzz School Quiz Game was ridiculed, shouldn’t money be put into sports equipment and facilities instead of consoles? Is playing Wii in PE the right message for obese children, especially when this activity is of “insufficient intensity to contribute towards recommendations for children’s daily exercise” (British Medical Journal).

A Department of Health spokesman had this to say on the subject: “We welcome the positive impact that innovations like these can have as a first step towards getting people to participate in a range of physical activities and to enjoy the many benefits of an active lifestyle.”

An active lifestyle is the key, because being the 3rd fattest country in the world, the UK needs to get off its backside.

Source: MCV

Image: BBC

Tags: dodge, education_at_school, nintendo_wii, pe_teacher, physical_education, teacher_in_america, tennis, uk_government, Wii

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2 Comments » Scott Davis on January 31, 2008 8:25 pm haha i cant imagine them to stay in good condition long though…when i was at school with PE, all the equiptment was wrecked haha John Kershaw on January 31, 2008 8:52 pm So they not only teach kits to be violent, but also healthy! RSS feed for comments on this post. Comment Now Note: Commenting on Ripten does not currently require registration, however to be eligible for contests on the site, you must be a registered user. Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website Commenting Rules: No hate speech allowed. If you must argue, please debate intelligently. Comments containing selected keywords or outbound links will be put into moderation to help prevent spam. Ripten reserves the right to delete comments and ban anyone who doesn't follow the rules. Thanks. Notify me of followup comments Tired of the Goomba? Upload your own custom comment avatar.