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Wii Fit 'traumatizes' kid by calling her overweight
Wii Fit 'traumatizes' kid by calling her overweight screenshot
Jim Sterling
\\ 05.06.2008
73 comments

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.



73 COMMENTS, LATEST BY dieinwind
The fourth latest game in Warcraft series is ¡®¡¯. Also known as , it represents a multiplayer online game, the best of kind. Initially, it was it be released in 2001, but was delayed 200... -    view discussion




There are 73 comments about this post:
Scientist tz's Avatar
6 stones = 84 pounds = 38.1 kilograms

FYI
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
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
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.
Kannon's Avatar
Prepare to hate what this game tells you Sterling.

I think it's nice telling people the truth for once. Its tough to hear the truth but in the end it gives you that extra momentum you need to change things about yourself. America is a bunch of fat slobs and as much as a recession and economic crisis sucks its teaching people to be more aware of things and more thrifty in what they buy eat or do. Wii Fit is just the tool needed to tell American's LOOK, stop eating shit and do some exercise you fat cow.
Tenro's Avatar
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
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
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
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
@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
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
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
... 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.
The-Excel's Avatar
This is exactly the kind of wake-up call America needs right now.
that1dood's Avatar
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
I wonder if it would be easier on the kid if wiifit "mooed" at them...
MissHinasaki's Avatar
I am laughing.
The-Excel's Avatar
@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
Every once in a while Wii Fit should throw a "and you're ugly too." for good measure.
Reaprar's Avatar
Exactly, even I can tell Jim's fat, because my house keeps dipping into the ocean when he wakes up every morning.
Boolean's Avatar
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

"Ill pretend its a hover-board, Weeeeey Im flying!"
Bioautographical's Avatar
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
OH IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN...
Tubatic's Avatar
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
So it would tell me "GTFO ME YOU LARDASS"
Phoenix Gamma's Avatar
Yea, American "fat" and Japanese "fat" are totally different weights.
Knives's Avatar
Just wait till kids at her school find out about this.
3dd13's Avatar
Fat Americans just need to suck it up. Your fat. Your poor. Your ugly. Deal with it.
SLiFE's Avatar
So overweight automatically equals fat?
tr0tsky's Avatar
@3dd13

and "you're" bad at grammar :P

<- Canadian
crila's Avatar
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
its rough when America has more food than the rest of the world. LET THE FLAMES BEGIN!
Velt's Avatar
I would love if the damn thing just screams when someone too fat stands over it.
MaximusPaynicus's Avatar
@3dd13
You're filled with self-hate, aren't you?
naia-the-gamer's Avatar
@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
TheToiletDuck's Avatar
phat!
Satsumomo's Avatar
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
lol what a tw@ :-)
CelicaCrazed's Avatar
People just hate the truth.
d e v i l e's Avatar
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
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
No, they should keep it as is.
Vitamin Awesome's Avatar
Lawl manboobs.
Aberrant Thought's Avatar
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
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
Why did they waste their money on this crap anyway?
teach4food's Avatar
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
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
Tits or it didn't happen.
Yuphrum's Avatar
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
*points and laughs*
Dexter345's Avatar
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.
niacin's Avatar
It actually says in the manual that whilst it can work out BMI for people between 2 and 20 it wont be entirely accurate because of varying rates of development.

The thing is it's using the clinical meaning of obese which is greatly different than what people on the street consider obese, we think you have to be 20 stone plus before you can be obese but being 2 stone overweight can lead to serious health problems too.

Note the game said i'm underweight so what is the opposite of annorexia cause out of shame i'm off to try that.
BA Chieftain's Avatar
@niacin
Thank you for indicating what is obvious with nearly every complaint about video games: they all occur from improper use. Just like with anything else, if you read the instructions and use something properly, you will rarely have an issue with it. So every time someone tells me that video games hurt people, just ask, "do you use the claw end of the hammer to pound in nails? do you use a car to flatten empty beer cans? Do you use a television as a medicine ball?" No? Then don't use video games improperly.

Assholes. Yes, 10 year olds and their families can be assholes.
Pepillou2's Avatar
BAWWWWWWWWWWW
Quix's Avatar
"Asians tend to be slim naturally so yeah." - Mikescool

Asians tend to be slim "naturally" because they don't eat McNuggets, fries, and a Coke twice a day.
Eschatos's Avatar
In America it doesn't count as fat unless you weigh at least 200. We're the nation of fat assholes.
Detry's Avatar
I came for the tits.

Damn you Jimmles!
nosinging's Avatar
Wait wait wait, am I the only one blown away that people still measure their weight in "stones"?
and what good would the wiifit be if you stepped on it, and it was like 'Perfect! Go ahead and return the WiiFit to your store--you don't need it" ?
animateria's Avatar
I need to see a pic of the girl to confirm this.

Who knows? The article might be being "polite".

But yeah, I've heard that the thing was overtly harsh.

Maybe just maybe...

"You got your GlaDOS in my WiiFit."
SubOrbital's Avatar
lol Japan was fine because it doesn' thave as many real fatties as in America. And Americans like to complain more and deny they have an issue with obesity.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Oh man, blehman wins.
Pariah's Avatar
I work retail, I can not wait for the returns. Some 600 lb land monster wants to return it because she broke in twane when she placed her cankled fire stompers on the fragile balance board. What is the wieght limit? 300lbs?
Kathos's Avatar
@Pariah

There's no refunds/exchanges on physically broken items! HAH! Take that you fat bastards! Grrrrr. I can say without sarcasm that I love greedy corporate policies.


Ye I work retail too and I've already seen countless fatties (and herds of fat families) drooling over a board that'll make you magically lose weight.
LarkOhiya's Avatar
@Dexter. I think many can verify that your not overweight or unhealthy... and I'm NOT glad about knowing this.
LarkOhiya's Avatar
Holyetheline's Avatar
According to the doctor I am underweight. I wonder what Wiifit will say about that.
lostalaska's Avatar
They should include a little fortune cookie note inside the wiifit so when it's broken open by some 500lb land whale they can reach down and pull out a little piece of paper that says "Go see a doctor, unless you were trying to weigh a cow on the wii board".
BlackSunEmpire's Avatar
BMI is a reasonable assessment of risk based on weight and height for people who are aged over 20. And even then, it does funny things for people who are at the tall and short end of the scale. 5'4" is pretty short for a guy, sorry Dexter.

It should not be changed to account for Americans being fat. Being overweight increases your risks of multiple diseases, and having a BMI 18.5-25 is much more healthy than having a BMI >30, which is asking for an early death.

But for a product that is aimed at the wii, with the likelihood of adolescent girls getting near it, Nintendo should have highlighted the problems with BMI on screen (especially the age problems), not just in the unread manual.
Blackhat's Avatar
I've never had a test in my life that allowed someone to be as tall as me (5'9") and as thin (120 lbs. Yes, seriously.)

Maybe it won't even register me on the scale.
protomark's Avatar
i'm 5'8" and 104 lbs as of today. wii fit would probably tell me i'm dead.

Wasn't the BMI scale declared obsolete, like, 5 years ago? it's too inaccurate to be medically significant, i thought.
RAB's Avatar
ur fat
dieinwind's Avatar
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