[DoctorBeaver (OP)]

Gordon Brown (although he himself is somewhat overweight) wants to make us all healthier by increasing the tax on fatty foods. Well, Gordon, make these things free on the National Health Service & I think you'll find it a much better way to get people fitter.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40929

[paul.fr]

do you also want the wii console available free?

[DoctorBeaver (OP)]

do you also want the wii console available free?

Of course!

[Heronumber0]

I don't kmow... I, for one, see nothing wrong with actually exercising by jogging outside...and panting furiously with a beetroot-red face holding my chest after a half mile of apparent running. It's fun! No simulation can replace this experience.

[DoctorBeaver (OP)]

If you like that sort of thing, then that's fine; but a lot of people don't. That is especially true for those who are very unfit but want to improve. Home exercises are invariably tedious so I think anything that can make it a bit more fun has to be a good thing. It may encourage couch potatoes to actually do a bit of exercise.

[Heronumber0]

Doc, you can get fit using an eye-toy with a PS2. I used the boxing simulation and loved it.  You can also dance etc...However, I love the feeling of watching the environment fly by and the wind in my face.  It probably comes from endorphin 'flashbacks' to when I used to run cross country as a student. It is a natural high.

[DoctorBeaver (OP)]

Heronumber() - As I said, if you enjoy that sort of thing, then that's great. But if you're the sort of person who has never done any exercise but wants to start, jogging outdoors isn't a feasible option. For a start, they may only be able to jog a few yards. Or maybe they feel self-conscious about their size. If anything can be done to encourage those people to exercise then it has to be worth thinking about.

Actually, I posted this thread as a bit of tongue-in-cheek nonsense; but, thinking about it, it's not a bad idea.