I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who has played a Nintendo Wii and not enjoyed it. But now the Wii Fit Plus will be sold carrying the NHS Change4Life logo, the fun of gameplay has officially become more than just a bit of a laugh with the kids. Is this the first sign that the idea of ‘Health 2.0’ is now really starting to take off in the mainstream?
While it may be painful jargon, there is a solid concept behind Health 2.0. There was even a conference on Health 2.0 recently in San Francisco. In a nutshell, it’s about using accessible technology to help manage health conditions and make easy lifestyle changes for health benefits. As we discussed in a previous blog, iPhone health apps are starting to make waves. The issue is that in many cases, considerable investment is needed to develop apps and this can limit the benefits of such technology to an exclusive population (for example the wealthy and/or the tech-savvy).
This is why the Department of Health approving the Wii Fit is a good example of how Health 2.0 could – and should – work. Not all computer gamers want to actually run in the park, but would be happy to run on the spot in their living room. It works because it easily fits into 21st century lifestyles. It might even encourage sedentary gamers to start thinking about doing real-world exercise if they really start to enjoy it too!
Tags: apps, NHS, Nintendo Wii, pharma online