One of the big complaints about video games is that they're turning Americans into obese, exercise-averse couch potatoes. But one Philadelphia gaming enthusiast has turned his passion into a form of exercise--and has lost nine pounds in six weeks as a result.

25-year-old Mickey DeLorenzo thought up the concept of the "Wii workout" after he and his fiancee ended up out of breath after a bout of the "Wii Sports" boxing game. He developed a workout plan, documented his experiment in detail, and, like anyone else today, chronicled his experiences in his blog. He lists his measurements, includes before-and-after photos, and provides stats such as BMI (Body Mass Index), heart rate, body fat percentage, and calories burned, in addition to weight.

He started the Wii workout experiment in early December and ate as he normally would throughout the holidays. The one change he did make was to add a 30-minute workout session with one of the "Wii Sports" games that comes included with the Wii: tennis, bowling, boxing or baseball each day. (He apparently didn't use the fifth Wii Sports module, golf.)

With Wii Sports the user simulates the movements and gestures of a sport by holding the remote (Wiimote) so, as DeLorenzo and his partner discovered, boxing in particular can give a pretty good workout. But he's getting more than weight loss for his efforts: apparently a fitness Web site has approached him about creating Wii workouts. And his Wii workout has been the subject of reports in media far beyond the City of Brotherly Love.

Speaking of which, since DeLorenzo is a Wii boxer from Philadelphia, the Web site includes a photo of him dressed up in gray sweats, arms raised in triumph, at the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. OK, so maybe he's not the world heavyweight champion like Rocky. But losing nine pounds in six weeks--especially during the holiday season--can make anyone feel like a champ.

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Another Wii workout enthusiast... this one claims to have lost more than 16 lbs. in 30 days
http://www.videogamefitness.net/