Americans are getting fat, and the world knows it.  In the French animated film "Triplets of Belleville," the Statue of Liberty appears to be as fat as Venus from Willemdorf --- a hilarious portrayal that mocks our resource-gobbling lifestyle as much as our collective waist sizes.  (And this is no French snobbery, as people from California are often shocked by the size of East Coast dwellers.)

 

The Nintendo DS is the perfect vehicle for a weight loss program.  Working out in front of the TV gets old.  You have to clear living room space and set aside the time, whereas this program can be with you on the go.  Plug in your body mass index, weight, height, sex, age, what you eat each day (with an easy visual interface), and other information about your activities, and then let the game do its thing.

 

One of the best features is the ability to log your eating habits into a daily calendar.  You do this by touching a food group container, which releases all the foods in that group.  The amount of available food items is quite exhaustive.  Seeing pixelized watermelon, grapes, apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, cherries, bananas, asparagus, corn, carrots, potatoes, salmon, beef, cold cuts, bacon, eggs, peanuts, pasta, white rice, bread, croissants, yogurt, milkshakes, cheese, burgers, hot dogs, french fries, pizza, spaghetti, cappuccino, wine, beer, pie, sweetened cereals, pancakes, waffles, popcorn, pretzels, chips, donuts, muffins, dessert pastries, and more will make you huuuuuungry! 

 

You drag and drop each little food item into the mouth of your stick figure character.  As you do so, the game keeps an automatic cumulative calorie count on the upper screen.  You don't have to do math or keep written logs.  The food tracking is so complete that, though the disclaimer discourages such things, there should be a national campaign for doctors to use this with their diabetic patients (or others who require careful nutrition monitoring).  You enter your physical activity and exercise in the same way, from light housework to swimming to solo sports to team sports.  Best of all, after entering the food, a scale appears to show you the balance between calories in (food) and calories out (exercise).

 

My Weight Loss Coach is not overwhelming.  You won't feel badgered or guilty.  The presentation is charming in its clean simplicity.  The content is divided into two general categories:  Daily Sessions and Backpack.  Daily Sessions involve a pedometer, physical activity (i.e. "Hold your arms out for 10 seconds and repeat 5 times"), challenges, and food balance.  The game rightly encourages drinking lots of water.  It makes a huge difference, and you'll get used to it. 

 

The pedometer that comes with the game is a lot of fun.  It's amazing how easy it is to make it a part of your day.  With it, you can track the number of your steps and begin to get an idea of your daily average.  Sometimes you'll be inspired to break your routine to rack up more steps on your pedometer.  Ideally, you will want to use the information to form a better routine without needing the pedometer.  The game will keep track of your progress and issue challenges where appropriate (i.e. "Put your salt in the cupboard and keep it there!"), but you don't have to accept every challenge. 

 

The personal lifestyle questionnaires are also fun.  You'll be asked about your attitudes on various subjects, and the game tailors itself to your tastes by offering exercises it thinks you might enjoy.  However, it's a great idea to do something outside your comfort zone at least once a day.  

 

The nutrition quizzes help you learn quickly without feeling like you have to study or make an effort.  Some of the pixel images of food items are unclear and should have been labeled, but as soon as you touch an item its name will appear.  The goal is to isolate one of three foods that has no fat, no protein, no carbohydrates, no fiber, or the least vitamin C or D, or the least salt, etc.  True/false quizzes and multiple choices quizzes are also included.  Each quiz can be reviewed and played again, and the flash card-style shuffling of questions does a good job of keeping the difficulty level within reason. 

 

The cover art for the game shows a tape measure wrapped around an invisible 30-inch waist.  That's a tall order for middle-aged folks, but the game would make a great gift for anyone who could benefit from better health awareness in general, from kids to old timers.  When you see that weird look on their faces, tell them, "Lump of coal this is not.  Lump of fat, this may help drop."