 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
My Weight Loss Coach
- Nintendo DS
- Price: $39.99
- Genre: Educational
Common Sense Media says
Encourages healthy eating and exercise with games.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that My Weight Loss Coach isn't a video game, but rather an advice application that motivates you to live a healthier lifestyle. It comes with a pedometer that connects to the DS so that the application can keep track of your daily steps. For weight loss, the program stresses small, sustainable steps like drinking more water and eating more fruit. One potential downside is that the game measures a player's fitness level using Body Mass Index (BMI), a standard used by the National Institute of Health to measure an adult's body fat based on height and weight. Parents with kids concerned about their weight should know that the BMI is an index for adults and since kids grow at different rates, their pediatrician will always be a better judge of what's healthy. If the game deems that a player's BMI is too high, it will urge them to lose weight, stating that people with BMIs in a certain range are less likely to suffer from illness.
What's it about?
One of Ubisoft's numerous life improvement applications, MY WEIGHT LOSS COACH works on the philosophy that little steps like drinking more water, walking a lot, and buying healthier groceries are the key to sustainable weight loss. Daily Sessions mode doles out fun daily activities designed to get players moving, including dancing to four tunes in a row from a favorite CD, eating fruit for dessert, and not eating potato chips for an entire day.
There are also coaching sessions on topics like how to fight hunger and choose healthy foods, and a daily log for recording what types of exercise you did each day and what kinds of food you consumed. My Weight Loss Coach also comes with a plastic pedometer. At the end of each day, you plug the pedometer into the DS's large cartridge slot and it uploads the number of steps you took. Players can make a game out of trying to beat their "high score" by walking more the next day.
Is it any good?
Overall, My Weight Loss Coach is a good introduction towards leading a healthier lifestyle. Younger children can have fun with the pedometer, while older players can soak up some of the game's more in-depth ideas and advice. The game's tone is generally gentle and encouraging, but be warned that the game does measure the player's fitness level using Body Mass Index (BMI), a simplistic system that has significant limitations. If the game deems that a player's BMI is too high, it will urge them to lose weight, stating that people with BMIs in a certain range are less likely to suffer from illness.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how to make changes in your lifestyle so that you can become healthier. Can you think up your own healthy activities and fitness challenges to incorporate into your daily routine? How can you encourage other family members to get healthier? Could you all take a walk together so that everyone reaches 10,000 steps per day? How about keeping a chart on the refrigerator showing the families progress?
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| Platforms: | Nintendo DS |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Educational |
| Developer: | UbiSoft |
| Release date: | June 24, 2008 |
| Price: | $39.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E |
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