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Obesity experts condemn Nintendo's Wii 'Fit' game

Posted by Marcel Klum on 19 May 2008 - 15:56 · 46 comments & 24149 views

Obesity experts today slammed Nintendo after its Wii Fit game told a 10-year-old girl she was fat.

They fear the game could damage children's body image and called on the company to warn parents it is not suitable for their offspring.

The £69 game, which sold out within hours when it went on sale in Britain last month, uses an electronic "balance board" to monitor a player's weight.

Once the player has entered their height, the game uses BMI, a measure of body fat based on an adult's height and weight, to calculate their level of obesity, placing them in categories such as "underweight" and "fat".

Players can then be guided through yoga exercises or play games to improve their balance.

However, a father from the South-East spoke today of the embarrassment when his stepdaughter played the game and was labelled fat.

"She is a perfectly healthy, 4ft 9in tall 10-year-old who swims, dances and weighs only six stone," said the father, who did not want to be named for fear of embarrassing the girl further.

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(1 reply) #1 Posted by russellc on 19 May 2008 - 16:14: It's just a game people; take it with a grain of salt.

(1 reply) #2 Posted by YaZoR on 19 May 2008 - 16:15: If you use the BMI as the be all and end all of health/fitness, you are nothing more than a pure moron/(deluded)fool.

And FFS, it is only a game.

For my height/weight, I fit perfectly in the "normal" range, yet I eat lots of seriously unhealthy food, and I no longer exercise like I used to. I am very unfit.

#3 Posted by chisss on 19 May 2008 - 16:47: wow.. honestly, it's a game... Ppl just want to bitch about anything nowadays...

#4 Posted by spacer on 19 May 2008 - 17:11: BMI is the most worthless fitness "statistic" in history. Every single institution in the world should stop using this pointless measurement and stop mentioning it in scientific studies.

I laugh whenever I see BMI stats, cuz I have a BMI of 31.6 but I'm not even fat.

#5 Posted by reech on 19 May 2008 - 17:39: £70 for a computer game to tell her she's fat? I'll tell her she's fat for free.

Besides, it's a Daily Mail reader. They'll complain if they find one flake less in their cornflakes. Daily Mail is a hating paper, full of bitter, vile writers, read by bitter, vile people, and full of bitter, vile stories.

(1 reply) #6 Posted by Jack 0Neill on 19 May 2008 - 17:41: Better the game tells her that than her crush.

#7 Posted by LTD on 19 May 2008 - 17:50: Hmmm . . .

It's okay when in a game, especially in a hardcore action-type like Grand Theft Auto or mmorpg, we play over the net and talk plenty of smack, or we have no problem running people over and shooting others in the face. But when the criticism (bloodless, mind you) is leveled squarely at us, we take it personally and get all bent out of shape about it.

Interesting.

(1 reply) #8 Posted by +GreyWolfSC on 19 May 2008 - 19:07: What's with the Windows logo and justice scales?

#9 Posted by +Orange on 19 May 2008 - 19:25: Sorry but no game gets you fit, you need to exercise outside, like running or indoors.. swimming and eat healthy.

#10 Posted by necrosis on 19 May 2008 - 19:38: BTW

6 stone = 84 pounds

Based solely on BMI being 84 pounds at 4'9" and female. That is heavy.

But as most have already said.... BMI is ****.

(1 reply) #11 Posted by _dandy_ on 19 May 2008 - 19:49: > Obesity experts today slammed Nintendo after its Wii Fit game told a 10-year-old girl she was fat.

What are they upset about? Inaccuracy, or wording?

How would a doctor describe this 10-year old girl?

#12 Posted by obasi on 19 May 2008 - 20:46: chubby my friend.

i believe it is accepted.

#13 Posted by kravex on 19 May 2008 - 21:11: Does WiiFit even use the term 'fat'?

The instruction book cleary says that the BMI doesn't work for anyone under 20, is it Nintendo's fault they can't read.

#14 Posted by fpd on 19 May 2008 - 21:14: BMI is a useful measure. Why not enable fat people to target a more healthy weight? Why not be candid about it? I also think its great that the machine tells you if you're underweight and should be eating more - that's got to be positive.

Her BMI was 18.2 so the machine got it wrong anyway. Children have different proportions and special charts are used to find their healthy weight.

#15 Posted by offroadaaron on 19 May 2008 - 23:40: if it says your fat then your fat, do something about it geeezz, if you don't wanna do something about it then thats your bad luck really, isn't it?

#16 Posted by shinji257 on 20 May 2008 - 01:04: Well that link above doesn't work but this one does. --> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10...-Youre-fat.html

Anyways if you believe that this will truly tell if you are fat or not then you need to get your head examined.

(1 reply) #17 Posted by ghos on 20 May 2008 - 01:52: I had a nurse somewhere test my body fat and I was called Obese by its scale. I was shocked but I didn't care I know I'm not Obese. I am a little overweight.

Even though this was a child, you still gotta take it with a grain of salt. Its a game. But girls are so fragile.

#18 Posted by Ali Koubeissi on 20 May 2008 - 10:07: I think I will break it if I stood on it

#19 Posted by neufuse on 20 May 2008 - 11:49: I hate the BMI... In college we had to take a semester of health class... the professor in it labeled me "obese" because of my BMI... when um I am very skinny... and tall... I just looked at him and said you keep thinking that... I weighed 135 lbs at the time... and was 6'2... but somehow I had a BMI that was "above average"....

#20 Posted by GEIST on 20 May 2008 - 13:08: Wii Fit is a ****ing joke, and so is this article.

#21 Posted by +Skwerl on 20 May 2008 - 14:29: Tell that fatty to get off the board and start jogging!
Seriously though, self-image problems are real and can be damaging for a lifetime sometimes. However, the suggestion that a game could have such an effect is certainly dubious. I don't think machines hurt many people's feelings. Usually it's other people that do that.

#22 Posted by Jonnoy on 20 May 2008 - 14:44: The Kid probably was fat, thats why the game said so.

They got wii fit for a reason, it called the kid fat based on the BMI calculation made, it doesn't lie. While fitness is an objective thing you can't go crying about it if a game says your overweight.

This is pathetic.

(1 reply) #23 Posted by Magallanes on 20 May 2008 - 17:41: You known that you are really fat when:

-wii fit will broke when your step over.
-wii fit say "one person at once".
-wii fit start crying when you stood on it.
-you will need a widescreen for fit your mii on screen.
-wii fit will connect with Guiness Record.
-Wii fit warranty will not cover you.

#24 Posted by Skanks on 20 May 2008 - 23:13: People do realise that kid's BMI's are calculated differently to adults and the Wii Fit game doesn't appear to take this into account?

#25 Posted by +GreyWolfSC on 21 May 2008 - 13:11: The original article says "obesity experts." Who? I see only one name in the entire article, and if he is is more than one expert on his own then he is fat, too. Heck, the article doesn't even have an author. Some source.

(1 reply) #26 Posted by Ollie64 on 21 May 2008 - 13:31: If she was of normal weight and the thing told her she was obese then there's a problem.

Hovever, if she was overweight and it told her so then so what?! She needs to stop dodging the salads!

#27 Posted by Aahz on 22 May 2008 - 17:31: GTA won't call your 10 year old a fatty.

#28 Posted by hagjohn on 23 May 2008 - 10:32: What great parents you all would make. Telling any 10 year old girl that she's fat will cause issues. All they had to do is ask for age of the person and then it could have worded it better or just not displayed the BMI for anyone under 20 or better yet, ask if they want their BMI.

BTW, most parents do not believe their kids are overweight, even when clearly they are. They've done studies on it.

#29 Posted by milesfromordinary on 23 May 2008 - 20:33: who cares. the kid probably was fat, maybe now they'll watch their eating?

#30 Posted by chemaz101 on 25 May 2008 - 10:32: problem with BMI is that it doesn't really take into account muscle, if u work out and quite fit, it will probs say u are over weight. There are better measurments out there

#31 Posted by asoldier on 26 May 2008 - 00:49: The jig is up! If you're fat, you're fat because you're

A. Lazy
B. Chronologically challenged (work day keeps you tired)
C. A+B+pornoholic
D. Don't give a rat's *** what people think
E. Genetically predispositioned (which is a total copout. You can always do SOMETHING to lose weight)

If you play video games for hours a day, there's still no excuse. If people get fat and they're addicted to video games, it's NOT VIDEO GAMES. You can get addicted to driving! Do you get fat from driving? I hope not, or I'm doomed! You get fat from eating improperly. By improperly I mean, eating more than necessary, the wrong kind of food, at the wrong times, or all the time, and not balancing your diet. Diet has a lot to do with it, but you also need proper exercise, sleep, environmental relief (sunlight and fresh air) and a regular schedule. Nintendo is NOT an excuse or a reason to get fat or obese or whatever you label it. That's a total copout; and it probably started because parents don't know how to control their children and refuse maintain their household and let the TV, internet, and games run their livelyhood, instead of treating as a recreation.

#32 Posted by Davebo on 26 May 2008 - 13:04: I'm curious - what is the maximum stated weight for this 'fitness pad', or whatever the hell you call it?

#33 Posted by RPDL on 26 May 2008 - 21:35: Let's just leave it at the fact that the BMI completely sucks.

Nintendo shouldn't be criticized for being one of the millions of people/organizations who use it. The BMI in general should be criticized. Most of these so-called "obesity experts" use it anyway, as it is often their simplest tool.

#34 Posted by goatsniffer on 27 May 2008 - 03:43: Here is how the game really works: If you are getting this game because you think it's gonna help you lose weight, you already have bad workout habbits and thus, are probably overwight.

Stretch when you wake up and walk a city block or two. Doing that will do much better than a video game can do for you, and you'll have more money in your pocket.

I'm not saying what I'm saying because I think it's wrong to be overwight, I'm saying what I'm saying because I'm amazed at how stupid society has become about weight. Everyone wants results with little effort and are willing to throw away money at a moments notice just for that. Lets say your Wii and Fit game costs you $250 and you get paid $15.00 /hr, that's 16hrs of work. Imagine putting 16hrs of work into exercise could could do for that same person.

BMI does not completely suck. It's a general range, there is no perfect number. If you are so tall, you should weigh within a certain range unless you have excess body fat. BMI doesn't take into account how 'tone' you are, but it give you a general range for your fitness. Having more weight in muscle too is going to throw that off that range, but obviously if you aren't guessing how healthy you are if you can see youself in the mirror.

#35 Posted by Philip Hristov on 27 May 2008 - 14:33: I still cannot get why some people (most people IMHO) are not calling the things by they real name. Almost nobody calls fat people "fat" but average because they say its offensive!? Isn't more offensive that we have to see your fat flesh in public. And its your freaking fault your not doing anything to become more fit, you cannot be sitting all day in front of the TV watching Oprah and eating greasy fast foods in your lunch break, and if somebody calls you fat you feel offended. Bah!

Let's start calling the things by their real name:

1. "Average" body size means "fat".
2. "A few extra pounds" or "big" means "pig".
3. BBW means "monster".

#36 Posted by +EchoNoise on 29 May 2008 - 01:52: Wii Fit is actually a good warmup before going to the gym though.

Works for me anyways!

#37 Posted by SimNet on 30 May 2008 - 15:23: BMI sucks because it doesn't know how much is muscle in your body, and howm uch is fat. all it says is your weight and your height people, IF shes 84 pounds of healthy, fit muscle, she might be fat or w/e but if your fat, you'll get a good score, if you're really fit you'll get a bad score

BMI is a ridiculous wahy of measuring anything it shouldb e trashed.

#38 Posted by +Volatile on 16 Jun 2008 - 14:57: Im 5'7, 145lbs and a machine at the gym said I was obese.

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