A UNIQUE scheme which uses a computer game to help children in Worcester and Droitwich get fit has backing from the Government.

The Department of Health has endorsed the pilot scheme, which uses Nintendo Wii games consoles to engage young people in physical exercise.

As previously reported in your Worcester News, Droitwich and Worcester City School Sports Partner-ship launched the scheme last year and won a Youth Sport Trust national development award for it in December.

It uses the Nintendo Wii, which requires users to mimic the actions required for real sports, as a way of engaging young people in school life and also making exercise more enjoyable and accessible for those who would normally avoid traditional PE lessons.

The scheme has received criticism from some, who claim it's just a gimmick, but the partnership said it was not intended as a replacement for school sport.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We welcome the positive impact that innovations like these can have as a first step towards getting people to participate in a broader range of physical activities and to enjoy the many benefits of a physically active lifestyle."

But the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said there were no plans to roll the scheme out nation-wide. Mike Eglesfield, partnership manager, said the scheme had now been trialled in all Worcester and Droitwich secondary schools.

He said the Nintendo Wii was only available at lunch times, and it had had a positive impact in keeping students in school during break times.

"It is not just about getting them active, it's about getting them to see school differently and the things they can do if they stay on site," he said.

Jane Christopher, acting headteacher at Droitwich Spa High School, said: "It has had a really positive impact.

"It teaches the students about taking turns, and being polite and also about sporting issues."

But not everyone agrees, and the Campaign for Real Education labelled the scheme a gimmick'.

Chairman Nick Seaton said: "Pupils would be far better doing serious competitive sports and games than this sort of thing.

"It looks like another gimmick. It's pandering to the views of the physically idle."

British children are among the most overweight in the world, with about one million obese children under 16.

It is thought as many as one-fifth of boys and one-third of girls will be obese by 2020.

Opinion page 6