No they're not. I call shenanigans on you.

And I suggest you check out the logs that he's kept on his blog. He explains those photos in the post:

"The next picture is slightly deceiving. In the “before” picture my posture is not wonderful and in the “after” picture I am standing up very straight. Also I had eaten a big meal before the first picture was taken. So the actual results are not quite as dramatic as this photo makes them look. Because of this I wasn’t sure if I should post this picture, I don’t want to mislead anyone or become like one of those late-night infomercials. Keep these things in mind as you look at the next picture."

And 10 lbs doesn't sound like a lot, but my girth changes several inches depending on my physical activity while my weight stays in a 5 pound range. I burn fat and add muscle when active, then replace muscle with fat when inactive. And you can bet that I look and feel better when I'm active.

Wrong spot.

Yeesh, the effects of desire on perception are shining through dramatically in this thread... If you want to see progress between the pictures, the progress will seem even greater than it is. If you want to believe it's a hoax, your eyes will discount the actual differences. If you don't care, you'll spot that he is in fact different between the images, but not dramatically so.

Anyway, it hardly matters. As with any form of fitness management, results will vary from person to person, based largely on their level of commitment to the program.

That would be a difference in lighting, MANUELF.

OK the pictures where taken at different times

Note
1. The sideburns.
2. Hair on the back of the neck
3. Slight blemmishes on the back

He is sucking in his stomach
1. Look how much higher his nipples are
2. Look at his collar bone

Now on to wii fit

Yes you can lose weight using it, Yes you can stay the same weight while using it.

My wedding is on the 1st June - and we'll be getting WiiFit early May. Gives me about 3 weeks, so I'll be going hard on it - and reporting any results here. I'm hopeful - but wouldn't be surprised if it does little. Diet and commitment are the big factors.

To suck in your stomach like that when posing (after a diet etc) is just human nature. I've done it myself numerous times. You want to look your best and show that you've made an effort.

It will be interesting to watch mainstream media after the US/Europe launch. I think they will eat it up and we'll see headlines like "America lost 10 million lbs thanks to WiiFit".

You have just hit the nail on the head, despite the statement most likely being intended to have a negativity towards wii fits effect, it just goes to show that wii fit isn't just what is already possible at the gym.. its the motivation to do what is available at the gym..

sure, he could have gone to the gym around the corner.. but here is the crux of the matter.. he has not .. however with the release of wii fit he has clearly been given the incentive/motivation to take a step in the right direction concerning his health and fitness, and now maybe he'll be more active in that, perhaps even by starting a membership at the gym around the corner..

This is exactly what miyamoto said the game was for "the goal isn't fitness, but to make you aware of your body" (i'm just paraphrasing here) .. which some people took to meaning "you can't get fit using this" but it is obvious now as it was then to most, that it just meant that despite it also making you fit, it also fulfils its actual goal in making the user aware of his/her own health

This is a pretty clear instance of Wii Fit being used properly to achieve modest results, just based on the numbers and ignoring changes in lighting, posturing, etc.

Considering he did not seriously alter his diet is important to note although he states he frequently skipped TV snack time in the evening since he couldn't eat while using Wii Fit. He also states he ate less in the evening to avoid exercising on a full stomach and that his appetite was eventually reduced.

Over a seven week period, skipping a bag of chips (300 calories) five or so times a week and smaller portions for dinner (200-300 cal), you're looking at anywhere between a reduced intake of 2500-4200 calories per week. 3600 calories is one pound, so you can see that by simply reducing food intake by about 500 calories a day, you'd be losing about a pound per week. Without any additional exercise.

But since he didn't track any of those specifics, you can't attribute what amount of weight loss was due to the introduction of a new exercise regimen (Wii Fit daily) or due to a reduction in caloric intake. It's fair to say both contributed.

The most important thing to note here is what makes ANY new exercise program work or fail: he did it consistently for seven weeks. And clearly, having his stats and progress tracked on a regular basis was a key part of helping him staying with it. Plus it seems like he had fun using the program which is also important in sticking with a program.

But... anyone can run their own experiment with a scale and a spreadsheet program or note pad and see similar or better results depending on how they tailor their regimen and how well they stick to it.

I recently bought a Tanita scale that measures body fat and body water percentage to track results of a new, moderate exercise program and adjusted diet, after a three month sedentary period and I should easily be able to lose 10 pounds in less than one month.

I won't argue whether my own program would be more fun than Wii Fit (I'd say no unless your idea of fun is lifting weights, pull ups, crunches and running several times a week), but it will produce better results with the same number of exercise hours over a much shorter time frame.

By better results, I mean faster weight loss, lower body fat percentage, lower BMI, higher muscle mass percentage, greater strength, higher endurance and overall cardio condition. Why? Higher intensity workout from both a cardio and MS (muscular strength) position.

Discipline is the most important factor for "getting in shape," and in the blogger's case, Wii Fit provided the cohesion necessary to stick to his exercise program.

It can work for others, but it won't work for everyone (since many will stop using it consistently, which is the only way it will produce results).

Anything that can inspire someone to get off their duff and exercise AND stick with it is a big positive. Just don't expect magic results and a sudden insurgence of fit people in America due to Wii Fit.

Once Wii Fit finally comes to the US, I think those who use it successfully should post their results on VGC since so many seem bullish about the soft/peripheral.