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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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71 comments | showing # 51 to 71

niacin's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 15:48
niacin
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 - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 16:26
BA Chieftain
@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 - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 16:59
Pepillou2
BAWWWWWWWWWWW
Quix's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 17:36
Quix
"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 - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 18:05
Eschatos
In America it doesn't count as fat unless you weigh at least 200. We're the nation of fat assholes.
Detry's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 19:18
Detry
I came for the tits.

Damn you Jimmles!
nosinging's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 20:17
nosinging
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 - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 20:53
animateria
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 - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 20:59
SubOrbital
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 - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 22:34
Mxyzptlk
Oh man, blehman wins.
Pariah's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/06/2008 23:57
Pariah
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 - Comment posted on 05/07/2008 03:03
Kathos
@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 - Comment posted on 05/07/2008 13:17
LarkOhiya
@Dexter. I think many can verify that your not overweight or unhealthy... and I'm NOT glad about knowing this.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2008 15:29
Holyetheline
According to the doctor I am underweight. I wonder what Wiifit will say about that.
lostalaska's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/07/2008 18:36
lostalaska
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 - Comment posted on 05/07/2008 21:07
BlackSunEmpire
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 - Comment posted on 05/08/2008 14:29
Blackhat
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 - Comment posted on 05/09/2008 10:15
protomark
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 - Comment posted on 05/16/2008 13:36
RAB
ur fat
Drach's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/23/2009 18:02
Drach
I've not had this issue with the one my pal let me and the wife use. it claims the wife and I have a perfect BMI (the BMI is inaccurate. Penn and Teller tell us so) It's been deemed as a complete inaccurate scale to check your health with... Which is why I was surprised when I was presented with one.
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