| elgefe02 said: Dr. Judith Stern discusses the merits of BMI and what Wii Fit can (or can't) do for you. Stepping on the Wii Balance Board for the first time, you may be shocked by being told that you are, in fact, overweight. We examined the potential ramifications of Wii Fit's approach to weight management and assessment in our previous article, Wii Fit: Bruised Boards and Balanced Egos. On the eve of the U.S. launch of Wii Fit, we decided to get an expert opinion on BMI measurement and the viability of Wii Fit as a platform for promoting exercise in our overweight nation. To get an informed take on Wii Fit and the merits of Body Mass Index measurement (BMI), we spoke to Dr. Judith S. Stern, a distinguished professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis. An expert on diet and nutrition, Stern has published extensively on nutrition, obesity, and the effect of exercise on appetite and metabolism. She is co-founder of The American Obesity Association, a lay advocacy organization dedicated to advancing understanding of the condition of obesity. GameSpy: Nintendo's Wii Fit is launching tomorrow in the United States. The idea is that with Wii Fit, people who would normally play games on their couch will get up, get active, and use the Balance Board to improve their personal fitness. What do you think of the premise behind Wii Fit, where using the game will help reduce your BMI? Dr. Judith Stern: My understanding is that Nintendo is saying that if you track BMI, and by using this program, that you'll improve your BMI, or lower your BMI. I say baloney to that. In fact, I'm sure you'll see very little change in BMI. It's not just BMI you want to look at, but how fat you are.
The rest of the interview here:
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If a person is 75lbs overweight, they are not going to replace that fat with 75lbs of mucles. That's just dumb. So yes an overweight person who carries a lot of fat can reduce their BMI if they exercise.
