From msnbc.msn.com:

Ubisoft wants to help us shed a few pounds with “My Weight Loss Coach.” It wants to help us improve our vocabulary with “My Word Coach” And it wants to help us kick that cancerous habit with "My Stop Smoking Coach" Meanwhile, its "Dog Whisperer Game" promises to help us tame our problematic pooches … no kicking involved.

Nintendo, with its “Wii Fit” and “Brain Age ” games knows a thing or two about self improvement and has, most recently, launched “Personal Trainer: Cooking” and “Personal Trainer: Math ” (both for the Nintendo DS). And — I’m not making this up — they plan to launch “Personal Trainer: Walking” in the near future. Yes … walking.

It seems that video game publishers have discovered that human beings are imperfect creatures. More importantly, they know that we know that we’re imperfect and are desperate to fix the situation. So while I am fairly confident in my ability to put one foot in front of the other, I succumbed to my deep-seated arithmetic and culinary insecurities and decided to find out if Nintendo’s personal math and cooking trainers really could fix my most glaring personal flaws. 

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From dailymail.co.uk (Thanks Stéphane!):

It sounds like a good investment – £100 for a gadget which promises to boost your brain power and improve your mental agility.

It is a marketing phenomenon which has had adults flocking to experiment on their children’s games consoles.

But don’t be blinded by technology. A simple game of Scrabble or a good oldfashioned puzzle are just as effective in exercising those grey cells, it would seem.

Researchers found no evidence to support claims that the Nintendo DS console and Dr Kawashima’s bestselling Brain Training game, which is played on the console, will boost intelligence.

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From calgaryherald.com:

From video games that claim to sharpen concentration to brain gyms offering mental circuit training, consumers are jumping on the "use it or lose it" notion of brain health in an effort to stave off the effects of aging.

This exploding interest in brain fitness saw consumer sales rocket from an estimated $5 million in 2005 to $80 million in 2007, according to market research firm SharpBrains. But with long-term benefits yet to be proven and brain-boosting labels proliferating on products, experts advise caution.

"The baby boomers, as we all know, are only a year or two from turning 65," says Colin Milner, CEO of the Vancouver-based International Council on Active Aging. "When people are spending money on everything from Botox and butt implants to bleaching of your skin, there’s a lot of stuff taking place around vanity. And there’s nothing more vain than being able to remember who the heck you’re speaking to."

Nintendo’s Brain Age game — which has sold nearly 430,000 copies in Canada since its debut in 2006 — propelled the notion of brain fitness into the mainstream, he says.

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From prweekus.com:

“Best Buy Canada has partnered with Nintendo of Canada for in-store events that promote the Wii and its potential health benefits to moms and their daughters.

The customer events, called “Wii for Women”, will feature gaming experts who will talk to women about games that can actually help their mind and body, and women can also try out titles like Wii Fit and
Brain Age.”

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