Our big family gift this year is a Wii and it is taking all the restraint I can muster not to rip that package open and start playing with it right now. We are like the last people I know to get a Wii and I imagine we will spend a good portion of the next few weeks making up for lost time.

If you envision a Wii-filled winter break in your house and you buy into alarmist medical warnings, you might want to keep the name and number of your family doctor handy. According to at least one doctor in Britain, up to ten people a week are hospitalized due to injuries sustained while enjoying the Nintendo Wii game system.

British doctors are calling it Wii-itis and are warning players to beware of games that require sudden movements, which can result in tendon stretching or tearing. "There has been a 100 percent increase in patients complaining of Wii-itis," said Dr. Dev Mukerjee of Broomfield Hospital, Essex.

Not only will Wii-itis knock you out of the game for a while, it could cause problems down the road. "It's possible Wii-itis may lead to rheumatism or arthritis later in life. Patients often have inflammation of the shoulder or wrist," said Dr. Mukerjee.

To be fair, even the Nintendo Website warns of possible injury due to repetitive motions. The site also warns players of possible eyestrain, seizures, electric shock and motion sickness. Whoa! Who knew having fun could be so dangerous?