Good Grapevine
My grapes are bursting with info and flavour for you to devour!

I don’t know about you but I am getting really sick of constantly being guilt tripped about health and fitness. The other week I was at a friend’s place and had a go on Wii fit, a game which up until that point I had avoided like the plague. Now don’t get me wrong, I do understand that keeping fit and staying healthy is important. But as far as I was concerned the game was just a way for Nintendo to make money out of something you’d probably already be doing.

I’d heard from a lot of people that Wii fit makes you think you’re much more unfit than you really are, and sure enough when I stepped (with some trepidation) onto the scales the game informed me that I was very overweight. Now, I don’t claim to be the picture of perfect fitness – I’m not supermodel skinny and although I do get regular exercise and eat healthily, I know I could probably be fitter. But I’m not fat, and I’m definitely not obese. It’s hardly surprising there have been so many complaints about Wii fit, when you think how many people already have body issues because of the media constantly telling us that we should all look like Kate Moss or Angelina Jolie.

It’s true that obesity is a real problem in society, especially amongst children and young people, but is making everyone feel bad about themselves really the best way to deal with it? The latest initiative being tested in Liverpool to combat obesity is to stop it before it becomes an issue, by giving all children under five free gym memberships. The existing system of free memberships for school children is one thing, but surely under fives should be getting all their necessary exercise from their normal daily play? And if not then perhaps the real issue in society is not overweight children, but the question of why they are not able to play as they should anymore.

For myself, Wii fit succeeded in making me feel bad for all of five minutes. Then I remembered my healthy diet, regular exercise and that I don’t drink too much or eat fast food, and realised that I don’t have anything to feel guilty about. And I’ve since found a brilliant new way of staying fit without taking too much time out of my routine - FitFlops. Flip flops that are made to give you a workout and help keep you in shape as you go about your normal day – genius!