Carol Vorderman aims to get you Active on the DS
Ah Carol, mistress of so many things, from strange detox diets to complicated calibrations of the Countdown kind. She’s using her many talents to support Britons getting fit, by teaming up with Nintendo to launch Active Health on the DS.
The game follows in the same vein as the soon to be released EA Active and already popular My Health Coach by allowing players an easy way to monitor their calorific intake, work out their BMI and get a tailored exercise plan.
You’re talked through the whole shebang by Carol, who gives you regular tips and updates on your progress.
There are a couple of settings on the game that make me slightly uncomfortable,such as the Calorie Count Up mini game where you play against Carol, and compete to see who knows the calorific content of a variety of foods- useful, but possibly condoning a unhealthy fascination with calories?
Considering the DS is the console of choice for little girls, I’m unsure if this mini-game is a good idea.
The game lets you track your daily calorie allowance, and is pre-set with a large amount of popular foods so it should be easy to input. the foods are also highlighted with government traffic light system, which allow you to make informed choices as they’re easily labelled green, amber and red based on your GDA.
What really sells me on the game though is the fact that it’s bundled with an ‘Activity Meter’, which is really a posh way of saying pedometer. You carry this around with you and it will give you a ‘reasonably’ accurate idea of how many steps you’ve taken in the day. It syncs with the DS though,so every day you upload your results by pointing it at the device and clicking the infrared button, which makes it pretty simple to use.
Active Health can be synced with the Wii as well, so the activities done in those games count towards your target exercise goals. Will it get you bikini ready for summer? Probably not, but it may be a good step on your path to a healthier lifestyle.
It’s out on the 7th August for an undisclosed price, but I’m guessing it will be below £20.
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