According to the US Centers for Disease Control, half the kids in the country are overweight. They point out to eating habits and lack of exercise as the main factors why American children are getting heavier. Nintendo is now working hand in hand with the YMCA to motivate children to get into fitness to prevent illnesses related to the condition.

The two groups believe that the key to solving the problem is by motivating the children to get into a healthier lifestyle through positive reinforcement. At the center of all this is the Nintendo Wii, the Japanese company's new game console that features innovative controllers called Wiimotes. The Wiimotes are unlike any other input device ever seen before: They are wireless, motion-sensitive and require a lot of activity to use to the fullest.

Nintendo started by donating 100 of the hard-to-find units to YMCA centers all over the country. Copies of the popular Wii Sports game were shipped along with the console. Wii Sports is popular because not only is it free, it immerses players into something close to virtual reality. Players can play bowling, tennis, boxing and much more while standing up and flailing their arms to rack up the points in whatever sport they choose.

"The Wii is one way to get inactive kids who love video games moving when they would otherwise be sitting playing these games," says Jane Carroll of the West Suburban YMCA. She also plans to squeeze in some eating tips along the way when people start to acknowledge the value of staying fit through the system.

Max Melville is seven years old and has recently started working out at the YMCA in his area. He says he always looks forward to sessions on the Wii console. "It's like virtual reality," he said. "I always wanted to know what it would be like to play some of these sports," he says.

On a side note, Nintendo has been spreading word around that there's actually a good number of people mailing them about how the Wii helped them shed off a few pounds. None of these have been confirmed, but this development looks ready to add a whole new dimension as to how the rest of the world views games.

The Wii has a reputation for having games that inspire wholesome family fun. The fact that it gets people into the game through the Wiimote makes it a sort of an exercise machine, too. YMCA shares the Wii's reputation, so a team-up seemed inevitable.

Nintendo's donating 100 party packs to YMCA chapters nationwide, in the hopes that it will help bring family togetherness. The Wiis are going to be used in the YMCA's Adventure Guides program which helps to make lifelong bonds between parents and their children. The active games (read: Wii Sports) will be incorporated into the organization's Healthy Kids Day events.

Nintendo of America's senior vice president for Marketing and Corporate Communication, George Harrison, adds:

Consumers all over America are telling us the Wii helps them to stay active and fit and also gives them another reason to be together as a family. Wii has quickly become a part of America's fitness plan, from bowling leagues for active seniors to kids and parents who sweat through Wii Sports pentathlons together.

The laptop computer used by the administrators of the YWCA daycare program was stolen from a locked office of the Providence, Rhode Island YMCA in Massachusetts.

It contained bank account numbers, credit card information and names, addresses and personal family and medical details of its more than 65,000 members, who are all in fear of identity theft.

Michelle A. Riendeau, YMCA Spokeswoman, said that there has been no indication that any of the stolen information has been accessed or used. The YMCA is in the process of notifying everyone who had data in the laptop.

Although nothing else was taken except for two laptops the police do not suspect any YMCA employees were in on the theft.