More occupational therapists should embrace the Nintendo Wii Fit to combat physical inactivity in forensic mental health patients, according to the researcher behind a new study.

Monash University occupational therapy honours student Nicola Bacon studied the effects of the Wii Fit on a group of Victorian forensic psychiatric patients across a six-week period.

Ms Bacon said the patients were at risk of obesity because of their psychotropic medication and their secure hospital environment, which could impact on their health, wellbeing, occupational performance and quality of life, jeopardising their rehabilitation.

She found patients enthusiastically embraced the Wii Fit, which helped bolster their self-esteem and also resulted in the patients doing mild to moderate levels of physical activity and each losing between 1 and 3.4 kilos.

“I hope that OTs, and other health professionals, will consider the Wii Fit as a serious intervention to help participants engage in physical activity, rather thanjust as a ‘fun kids' game’,” she said.

“I hope it also draws to attention the magnitude and significance of the problems of rapid weight gain and physical inactivity or occupational imbalance in forensic mental health patients.

“This problem is one that is well known anecdotally, and even in the literature, but yet seems to have not had much research on interventions done on it.”

Ms Bacon said the study had such positive results that the hospital has since introduced Wii Fits on every ward and now has a Wii group session running twice a week.