The Detroit Free Press is running a nice piece by columnist Drew Sharp about golfing pro and Type 1 diabetic Scott Verplank. Titled "Golfer Verplank an inspiration to fellow diabetics," Sharp observes that athletes with diabetes are in a unique situation. "Athletes are taught to fight through pain, to develop a higher threshold for it. But diabetics don't get that luxury, because maintaining the proper blood glucose equilibrium is mandatory," Sharp writes.

Verplank is forty-two years old and hails from Texas. According to his Wikipedia entry, he was honored in 2002 with the Ben Hogan Award, which is given by the Golf Writers Association of America to golfers who continue with the game despite a major illness or injury. Talking about his ability, as a sports pro with diabetes, to positively influence the lives of others, especially youngsters, Verplank remarked: "If what I went through can inspire even one kid to run his own life and not let diabetes run his own life, then it was all worth it." He says determination is key, adding: "whenever you can find positives out of the challenges thrown at you in life, it makes you stronger." I don't know much about golf, but this is an ethos that Verplank clearly lives, with the columnist Sharp describing him as "the ultimate grinder."

One last thing: I was checking out readers' comments on this article and this one made my jaw drop: "Verplank is not an inspiration. I have diabetes and I get know [sic] hope from some lame golfer that [sic] is mediocre at best." Wow. How mean-spirited can you be?

Who would've thought that the same company who gave rise to Super Mario Brothers would transform a generation into virtual athletes? And I know what you're thinking - don't even try to turn this video gaming habit into a banner health campaign. Hold the phone, sister. Read on and you'll see what Nintendo has done.

The calorie-carnage begins with a wireless remote -- like a piece of sporting equipment. In fact this wireless piece is your symbolic tennis racket, baseball bat or golf club. Players use the momentum of their body movements to engage a sensor placed on top of the television. The freebie games that come with Nintendo Wii are: tennis, golf, baseball, and even boxing. Of course the games to choose from are as far as the imagination can stretch. You can even pay to download the good old games like Super Mario Brothers and other hits from back in the day. The gaming actively involves movement of the biceps, shoulders, core and even the legs. All of this, of course, happens in the comfort and privacy of home, which means users of any age or skill level can hit the virtual court, diamond or links anytime.

In a study of 25 kids 8 to 12 years old, researcher Lorraine Lanningham-Foster at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, found that kids playing active video games (Sony's EyeToy and Konami's Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2) expended roughly double the energy of kids playing sedentary video games.

Wii has attracted a devoted following, including 26-year-old Mickey DeLorenzo, of South Philadelphia. The multimedia developer quickly attained cultural hero status by blogging the results of his 30-minute-a-day Wii exercise regimen. DeLorenzo, who lost 9 pounds between Dec. 3 and Jan. 15 just by playing Wii games.

If you're still curious what the game looks like in action take a moment to watch a crafty commercial Nintendo put together. The theme of the commercial is: Wii would like to play. Enjoy!