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Wii Fit 'traumatizes' kid by calling her overweight photo

The launch of Wii Fit seemed to go off without a hitch in Japan, but you had to know that as soon as it found itself in the hands of sensitive Westerners, trouble would occur. The game has barely hit the UK, but already the first Wii Fit controversy has kicked off, "devastating" one girl by calling her overweight. Uh oh ...

"My [relative] came round this weekend and we let her play on our Wii Fit," claims a poster on the DIS forums. "We have all laughed and joked about being told that we're fat and need to lose weight but I was gobsmacked when it told her that she is overweight."

To be fair, this looks like a bit of a problem with Wii Fit itself. The ten-year-old in question is 4'9" and weights six stone, which is actually a pretty healthy weight. Either way, the girl was upset by Wii Fit's judgment and apparently it took some effort to convince her she wasn't fat. "I know it is just a game but seriously we already have to worry about young girls starving themselves to look like the magazine models and now we have a game that tells them they're fat," the concerned relative states.

Rest assured, this is only the beginning. A game like this is fine in Japan, but just you wait until the sensitive, unaccountable American housewives get their claws on this thing. It'll be sh*tstorm central and no mistake. Personally, I don't need a piece of plastic pretending to be a set of scales telling me I'm fat -- I can tell from looking at the tits.

If I were Nintendo though, I would seriously look into toning down its classification of "fat" before hitting the States, because there will be blood in the streets.








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72 comments | showing # 1 to 50
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next 50 comments

Scientist tz's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:10
Scientist tz
6 stones = 84 pounds = 38.1 kilograms

FYI
Samit Sarkar's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:12
Samit Sarkar
Yeah, being a ten-year-old girl and weighing 84 pounds at that height is really not bad at all — no one wants to look like Keira “Skin and Bones” Knightley. Also, many more people in the West are overweight than in Japan, so Nintendo is going to have to change their definition of “fat”. And as I said, assuming that Wii Fit uses BMI as an indicator of healthful weight, there are going to be more errors like this.
Barcode's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:14
Barcode
ROFL

I am glad I am not some person so is easily sensitive by what other people say.

Who knows, she may've been moving around on that thing and it caused it to not be able to record her weight right.
Tenro's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:17
Tenro
As a sort-of-fat-guy, I don't much care about a piece of hardware giving me crap. Then again, I wasn't even considering buying WiiFit, so...
Mikescool's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:18
Mikescool
i think they need to increase the BMI scale a bit for Americans. Asians tend to be slim naturally so yeah.
F Whipple's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:19
F Whipple
While this will be brutally honest with some people (as needed), just about anyone who is muscular is going to be "overweight."
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:22
MaxVest
There is an error somewhere. The numbers reported give a BMI of about 18, which is actually underweight. Wii Fit will not deliver an "overweight" message with that score.
Mikescool's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:24
Mikescool
@MaxVest

isn't it obvious, she reported an incorrect weight for the kid, she is probably overweight. they said 6 stones, how accurate is that, it's like saying, oh i weigh like 100 pounds...

@F_Whipple

Nintendo is obviously not targeting this game at ripped guys like me ;)

lol
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:25
MaxVest
Oops, should have looked at the source. The original poster says the girl is 4' 9" and 92 pounds, which gives a BMI of about 20. This is still on the low side of normal, and Wii Fit won't tell you you're fat if you get that score either. Maybe she entered the wrong height, or the scale is off.
s0lesurviv0r's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:27
s0lesurviv0r
I'm gonna whip up some popcorn and watch CNN so I'll be ready when the first batch of lawsuits gets flung at nintendo. I can't wait for the interview of a woman in a mumu saying she has never been so insulted.
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:28
MaxVest
... and reading further, it says the Wii scales are off if you use them on carpet (they were), and will adjust correctly if you put it on a hard surface. You know, like every other scale in the world.
Excel-2011's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:29
Excel-2011
This is exactly the kind of wake-up call America needs right now.
that1dood's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:31
that1dood
Either way, people should calm down a bit about a game telling you you're fat. You don't see people getting all up in arms over brain age telling you you're stupid.
blehman's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:32
blehman
I wonder if it would be easier on the kid if wiifit "mooed" at them...
MissHinasaki's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:33
MissHinasaki
I am laughing.
Excel-2011's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:33
Excel-2011
@that1dood:
Americans are used to being called stupid. Just look at all the documentary filmmakers and satirists these days. They berate the country they're in all the time and get praised for it.
mattynunchucks's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:35
mattynunchucks
Every once in a while Wii Fit should throw a "and you're ugly too." for good measure.
Boolean's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:39
Boolean
From what I've heard this game calls everyone a fat bastard when you start, but it quickly evens out to a more average result after a couple of plays (same as Brainage). I guess it's Nintendos way of trying to motivate you.
Grapefruit Juice's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:45
Grapefruit Juice

"Ill pretend its a hover-board, Weeeeey Im flying!"
Bioautographical's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:45
Bioautographical
Nintendo shouldn't be touched for this.

After all, there are plenty of parasitic douchebags walking around in the world who will make disparaging comments about peoples' weight, and THEY don't get sued.
AlucardX24's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 12:59
AlucardX24
OH IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN...
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:03
Tubatic
to be fair, that weight /height scale is pretty unforgiving. My 5'11 , 286lbs bodice scoffs at the notion that my healthy weight is around 140lbs. bullsh- !


::cries his fat-ass back to work::
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:04
king3vbo
So it would tell me "GTFO ME YOU LARDASS"
Phoenix Gamma's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:05
Phoenix Gamma
Yea, American "fat" and Japanese "fat" are totally different weights.
Knivy's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:09
Knivy
Just wait till kids at her school find out about this.
3dd13's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:11
3dd13
Fat Americans just need to suck it up. Your fat. Your poor. Your ugly. Deal with it.
SLiFE's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:19
SLiFE
So overweight automatically equals fat?
tr0tsky's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:23
tr0tsky
@3dd13

and "you're" bad at grammar :P

<- Canadian
crila's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:28
crila
being a rather skinny american i find this hilarious. watching fat people react to being called fat is like watching a train wreck. that is, if the train was carrying jello.
mabman's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:31
mabman
its rough when America has more food than the rest of the world. LET THE FLAMES BEGIN!
Velt's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:34
Velt
I would love if the damn thing just screams when someone too fat stands over it.
MaximusPaynicus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:36
MaximusPaynicus
@3dd13
You're filled with self-hate, aren't you?
naia-the-gamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:37
naia-the-gamer
@Max Vest:

So wait, the balance board gets screwed up on a carpet? How am I supposed to use it then?! The only hard floor I have in my apartment is the kitchen and the bathroom!!

and the point to using it is to accurately dictate how your balance and weight are right? Which it won't do!

That's extremely problematic
Satsumomo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:46
Satsumomo
6 stones? What the hell, do you also measure distances by twigs?

I may live in a 3rd world country, but at least we don't use measurements from the days we wiped our butts with rocks.
mistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:58
mistic
lol what a tw@ :-)
CelicaCrazed's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 13:58
CelicaCrazed
People just hate the truth.
d e v i l e's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 14:05
d e v i l e
As we all know, being sued has nothing to do with breaking laws and everything to do with having a lot of money.
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 14:13
Sharpless
That's kind of shitty. She doesn't sound fat at all. Poor kid. Telling the truth is fine, but this was just uncalled for and inaccurate.

As for me, I believe it would say, "Kill yourself."
Dan CiTi's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 14:32
Dan CiTi
No, they should keep it as is.
Vitamin Awesome's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 14:43
Vitamin Awesome
Lawl manboobs.
Aberrant Thought's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 14:48
Aberrant Thought
Well, weight is a curious issue in this country. As a formerly fat person, I can attest to that. I can also attest to fact that I was fat because I ate garbage, drank soda to excess, and did little in terms of physical activity.

People will flip wigs about this because fat people don't like being told so. (For the most part I mean.) I imagine lawsuits and teary-eyed housewives.

As for Kannon's suggestion that purchasing this product will '...more thrifty in what they buy eat or do. Wii Fit is just the tool needed to tell American's LOOK...' That is ludicrous. Americans need to buy a $250 console, plus however expensive the game is itself, and the $29.99 MadCatz yoga pad. and this is supposed to teach Americans how to spend money properly?

BAH!
Visc's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 14:49
Visc
That picture is so full of win.

Games need to insult people more often. I remember a story about some girl picking up a second hand version of Animal Crossing on the DS and it calling her a smutcunt or something.

Marvellous.
Syn's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 14:53
Syn
Why did they waste their money on this crap anyway?
teach4food's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 14:54
teach4food
Isn't the whole point of the game to convince people that

A. They are out of shape

and

B. The WiiFit will help

so their market is "fat" people. The whole thing is stupid. I found a picture of the kid by the way, enjoy
TrailerParkJesus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 15:02
TrailerParkJesus
I'm with Wiifit on this one.

I mean, if a fat girl stepped on me, I'd call them fat too.
Volomon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 15:13
Volomon
Tits or it didn't happen.
Yuphrum's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 15:17
Yuphrum
I can't help but laugh at the silliness of this situation, bt in all seriousness girls can be really uptight about their weight
Druid 01's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 15:19
Druid 01
*points and laughs*
Darren Nakamura's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 15:23
Darren Nakamura
It probably goes by the body mass index, which is totally bunk. At 5'4", 180 lbs, I'm considered obese by the BMI. If you saw me, you'd know I'm not anywhere near being obese.
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