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Wii Fit tells 10-year-old she's fat

  • By Emma_UK, GameSpot
  • Posted May 16, 2008 9:30 am PT

The Daily Mail is condemning video games again--and this time it's Nintendo that bears the brunt of its vocal indignation. Although the Wii and DS have been generally insulated from the usual haranguing of traditional video games in such sections of the British press because of their popularity...

The Daily Mail is condemning video games again--and this time it's Nintendo that bears the brunt of its vocal indignation. Although the Wii and DS have been generally insulated from the usual haranguing of traditional video games in such sections of the British press because of their popularity among the elderly, women, and on cruises, family friendly Wii Fit has managed to incur the wrath of the tabloid.

The reason is that an unnamed 10-year-old girl from South East England was told by the game, during its Body Mass Index test, that she was "fat." (Wii Fit actually puts users into a variety of categories, the two heaviest of which are "overweight" and "obese.")

The stepfather of the girl, who didn't want to be named for her sake, said, "She is a perfectly healthy, 4-feet-9-inch-tall 10-year-old who swims, dances, and weighs only six stone. She is solidly built but not fat. She was devastated to be called fat and we had to work hard to convince her she isn't."

The paper then enlisted the opinion of Tam Fry, a spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum, who called for a ban on kids playing the game, presumably meaning she wanted to see it brandishing an 18 age gate sticker. She said, "I am absolutely aghast that children are being told they are fat. A child's BMI can change every month and it is perfectly possible for a child to be stocky, yet still very fit. I would be very concerned if children were using this game and I believe it should carry a warning for parents."

However, Nintendo declined to entertain her suggestion, simply saying, "Wii Fit is still capable of measuring the BMI for people aged between two and 20 but the resulting figures may not be entirely accurate for younger age groups due to varying levels of development."

752 Comments

  • irishkd

    Posted May 7, 2011 5:55 pm GMT

    You can't argue with nintendo... if they tell you you're fat, well, maybe they're right !

  • HIGGOTSA00

    Posted May 11, 2009 5:22 am GMT

    Big deal. its a game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. i mean why make a big fuss!!!!!!! (but if it sed that she is fat it was probely true)

  • mr111111

    Posted May 5, 2009 5:09 pm GMT

    lawl this is dumb

  • kalkhaja

    Posted Apr 7, 2009 10:17 am GMT

    she is fat, based on the figures...

    whats wrong with that?

  • bogartcool

    Posted Apr 6, 2009 1:33 pm GMT

    Wow. They really do make a big deal out of nothing. If she's fat she is. If she's not then she's not. jeez.

  • alexhates98

    Posted Apr 6, 2009 12:33 pm GMT

    How would a 10-year old be 60 kg?

  • drybonesXD

    Posted Apr 5, 2009 5:35 pm GMT

    come on the family is making a big deal out of it who cares she needs to check her weight then

  • MoonMarvel

    Posted Apr 1, 2009 11:21 pm GMT

    60 pounds or 60 Kilograms? Because if its pounds she is underweight if kilograms she could stand to shed a LB or two.

  • Midragon

    Posted Apr 1, 2009 11:03 pm GMT

    @those who said the kid needs to lose weight. Grow up. From the step-father's language, you can tell he's telling the truth. The kid is healthy and fit.

    @those who said we should be more sensetive to kids - If kids are that sensitive at that age, most likely its the effects of bad parenting. I'm an Uncle 17 times over, my siblings being some of the best parents I know. None of the kids would dare be offended by that. They're too smart to put trust into what a machine tells them.

    Personally, the game is fine. If anything, it reinforces one to stay with any healthy habits they have. The only reason people become anorexic or bulimic is because of the choices they make. If they are insecure enough to let a game affect what they think about themselves, then stuff like that is happening each and every day when dealing with people, and people's thoughts and comments usually have a greater affect than games.

    I really never understand those that complain about games. Especially for a stupid reason like this. If a parent is pathetic enough to actually complain about it instead of just telling the kid that its a game and their measuring system isn't accurate, then they shouldn't have become a parent in the first place.

    -Mid.

  • damagetv

    Posted Mar 31, 2009 2:00 pm GMT

    Amen, VaelVictus, I cannot believe that this thread is still going, after 16 pages and nearly 12 months! Doesn't anyone ever look at dates on things any more? MAY 2008. This news is so old it has furry mold growing on it. It doesn't help that sites like TV.COM are putting this thread in tickers at the tops of their pages, but honestly, folks should really should let this one die! ;-)

  • Amnesiac23 Site moderator

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 10:40 pm GMT

    Hmm, this is an old article...But anways, Wii Fit actually says something to the effect of "if you are a child your BMI will change all the time". And the game is trying to get you in shape. What the point if the game beats around the bush?

  • Nafe

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 6:15 pm GMT

    LOSE WEIGHT.

  • VaelVictus

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 3:44 pm GMT

    This was posted over a year ago.

  • pizzaman95

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 2:35 pm GMT

    I have no real comments.

  • zillan

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 1:34 pm GMT

    If the childs fat she should be told. you can tell children the truth without emotionally scaring them for life to much p**syfooting these days with all that PC bullSh*t .
    On the other hand, if the wiifit's is weight gauge is unreasonable then take it back for a refund for Godsake !!!

  • Unholy_Terror

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 1:29 pm GMT

    "Wii Fit actually puts users into a variety of categories, the two heaviest of which are "overweight" and "obese."" So they're angry that Nintendo uses real classifications? But any way why are people mad about this? If I was fit and it said I was fat I'd find it funny...

  • Lu-tze57

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 12:53 pm GMT

    I believe that there is a caution when you do your fit check that if you are a child, that the BMI is not as accurate, just as Nintendo said.

  • allie2590

    Posted Mar 29, 2009 3:55 pm GMT

    Boo hoo. A VIDEO GAME called her fat. Talk about crying over spilled milk.

  • alexhates98

    Posted Mar 29, 2009 3:42 pm GMT

    I can't believe they actually just did that,wow!

  • Pokedude1013

    Posted Mar 25, 2009 5:44 pm GMT

    They moved to ban the game.
    wow.

  • EverteMax

    Posted Mar 25, 2009 6:53 am GMT

    She will hear worse things in the future.

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Mar 25, 2009 3:47 am GMT

    6 stone is 38kg/84lb, thats a completely healthy weight for a 10 year old.

    Like they said, its not accurate for the younger kids because they change constantly, like how the Brain Age game for DS isn't accurate for people under 21.

    Still, putting an 18+ sticker on a game like this just because of a small mistake is preposterous. How about you heartless people calling her morbidly obese actually do the weight conversion, you're probably calling her fat so you feel better about yourselves. Some people are overreacting.

  • princesslawless

    Posted Mar 24, 2009 7:28 pm GMT

    according to google 6 stones is 84 pounds .. gotta love google calcs

  • Larzee1295

    Posted Mar 24, 2009 5:19 am GMT

    I find it hard to believe that the game would call someone "fat." I have the game, and it has four rankings: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. I think that BMI's can be innacurate sometimes, however, I don't think it's something to put an 18+ sticker on. I think if you are going to buy this game for a 10 year old, you should at least make sure you talk with them first so that they have a good idea of what "healthy" really is and that a video game can't know that for sure.

  • deardorffj

    Posted Mar 21, 2009 4:34 pm GMT

    If you're 10 years old, 4'9", and weight 120lbs, then yes, YOU'RE FAT. For a boy or a girl.
    Adelette - why in the heck would "bad weather" make it hard to get to the gym? Unless you're traveling through a hurricane or tornado, that's an excuse not to go, not a reason. This girl's dad needs to check her diet along with exercising by using a "video game" of all things.

  • ulrickandme

    Posted Mar 21, 2009 7:05 am GMT

    First off, she's only 10 years old! Peoplr need to stop saying she over reacting. When you were ten, did anyone of you cried over anything? Scrapped knee or even getting picked on by someone bigger than you? I'm not the expert, but at ten, you're a bit sensitve. Who cares if the Wii is flawed or "indestructible"! This kid probably wanted to try it out to keep her beign fit not trying to make her fit! People are so insensitive to little kids even though they were kids at one time. Gasp! A shocker! "Aw, don't cry over it! You're just a bag of snot and tears. You'll get over it." Come on, people! Whether it's the designers' fault or the kid for trying something that was "for everyone". I'm surprised they're more people in these comments that believe that a 10 year old would get over it and forget. All these anorexic and bulimic actors/actresses probably started out like this. Someone told them that they were fat and useless and they held it all in. When Hollywood popped in to their life, "oh, you're too fat and you'll never work in a movie." Think before you start bashing a little girl about getting over stuff.

  • Adelette

    Posted Mar 18, 2009 11:47 am GMT

    Oh and DonutsNotGames - guess what? Lots of very normal, healthy and ACTIVE people buy the Wii Fit because its fun and a great alternative to the gym when it's too hard to get there (i.e. bad weather). And obviously unlike you, some people like to work out because they actually find it FUN and they like the endorphin rush. And btw your screennname doesnt give you any credibility either.

  • Adelette

    Posted Mar 18, 2009 11:43 am GMT

    You people are crazy. A ten year old girls feelings were hurt - no one sued anyone. And ten year olds are wont to be overly sensitive, especially in an age where wearing a size 8 is call for alarm and "thin" means being anorexic.

  • BAJennings

    Posted Mar 18, 2009 7:16 am GMT

    People leaving comments about "fat Americans" need to read the article again.

    Our family loves the Wii Fit for the games, not the sardonic comments coming from a battery powered piece of plastic. Each of my family members ranks between "underweight" and "overweight" BMIs and we don't take it personally. Maybe a "Not for the extremely sensitive and irrationally deluded" rating sticker should be applied.

  • Steel_Hawk_99

    Posted Mar 17, 2009 7:35 am GMT

    I hope Kate Moss doesn't have this game otherwise Nintendo's gonna get sued for calling people anorexic.

  • DonutsNotGames

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 8:01 pm GMT

    What more can I add that hasn't been said by the teeming masses here? IT IS A GAME!!!!!! If you bought the Fit program for the WII, then it's obvious that SOMEONE needs it. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

  • Skylark2012

    Posted Mar 15, 2009 8:23 am GMT

    I think they should release Wii Fit over with a gate sticker not allowing people that are -FAT. That would stop all the complaining. Who knows when thers gonna be a whole 'nother story like this bout a 'skinny' girl this time..

  • enyoj

    Posted Mar 15, 2009 4:43 am GMT

    this is yet another reason why we need a 3rd world war ...

  • rholyokowarrior

    Posted Mar 14, 2009 6:12 pm GMT

    facepalm


    You've GOTTA be kidding me.
    I may not be terribly interested in video games anymore, But this is pathetic.

    Age 18+ sticker on WII FIT?
    What are they on?

  • fredfredfred22

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 6:56 pm GMT

    lol

  • taascano

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 2:01 pm GMT

    Wow. I can't believe all the idiots and morons posting here who seem to think that the Wii must be all-knowing and infallible. Honestly, does anyone ever think things through before posting here?

    When it comes to calling it as it is, I'm the first to call fat fat. But the problem here is that the Wii Fit uses BMI, a tool which is only accurate for summarizing groups and populations, not to judge the relative health of individuals. It doesn't work that way, and cannot be accurately applied on a person by person basis. All it considers is height and weight, which does not take into account differing skeletal structures, muscle mass, etc. My teenage sister, who is rail-thin but strong, was told by some "fitness experts" at her school that according to her BMI, she was 20lbs overweight. There is no way she had that kind of weight to lose, but because muscle is denser than fat, it put her into a higher weight category. The point is, BMI does not work for measuring individuals! It's a statistician's tool, not a doctor's.

    Now, the Wii Fit does in fact include a warning that the mesurements may not be accurate for persons under 18, which is at least a step in the right direction. Personally, I think it would be better if when you enter your age, it would disable any weight recommendations for those under 18. Does the game need an Adults only rating? No, but it needs to make it known loud and clear that the BMI it uses is inaccurate at best, and potentially outright false at worst.

    The fact is that this has nothing to do with beign too sensitive about calling someone fat if they actually are, but it has everything to do with a system that is not equipped to properly gauge someone's health trying to tell someone what kind of shape they are in. Height and weight can be good indicators, but taken alone are rarely an accurate measurement of anyone's level of fitness. When you integrate such a system into a toy intended to be used by kids at an impressionable and emotional age, you're taking a lot of risk tyring to label them without proper information, and there is potential for a great deal of damage. Move over anorexic supermodels, now the Wii Fit is here!

  • kakarote22

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 4:03 pm GMT

    maybe you should stop lying to your kids and tell them when they actually are fat. I see so many fat kids in america these days it sickening people need to be told when they have problem and helped by their peers not enabled by them.

    In all actuallity though this child probably isn't fat given she lives in England.

  • westsiders2

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 12:10 pm GMT

    This is one of the most stupid stories I have. I mean seriously I think the government should invest in the Wii and Board to tackle the child obesity problem. The government won’t tell a child that he/she is fat nor will the parents so let the Wii tell them the truth. If she is she is and if she is not she isn’t. The family should not forget the reason why they bought the wii in the first place.

  • ratm247

    Posted Mar 7, 2009 1:36 am GMT

    ya she cried too when i whooped her ass in mario kart, so theyre trying to ban that now too.

    who cares, 10 year old girls cry over everything, 20 year old girls cry over everything. she probably cried too when she didnt get 100pts on deep breathing.

    ya big deal, wii fit thinks im supposed to weigh 165 ideally, so it tells me im obese. the point of bmi is to give you a reference to gauge improvement. its a $100 game for a nintendo, how suicidal are you going to let it get you? its not like shes going to "work out" to death on wii fit, trying to get the wii fit to say shes thin, and im sure the wii fit didnt tell her to stop eating, so im sure nintendo is fine.

    the point is if you use it daily you will improve your bmi. ive lost 30 lbs since jan alone on wii fit, and my posture is noticeably, and greatly improved. as well i use the board for skate it and shaun palmer.

  • Monkey2Banana

    Posted Mar 5, 2009 4:47 am GMT

    omg its a game get over it...its called me fat i justed laughed why people take it to heart have no idea...

  • Xaviersx

    Posted Mar 3, 2009 2:14 am GMT

    a gamer and fat, shame on the gaming company Nintendo for hitting the nail.

  • parrot_of_adun

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 12:39 pm GMT

    That's like encouraging a ban on weight scales or mirrors because they might make shallow people feel bad.

    Besides, it's not like being fat is the end of one's life. I'm pretty sure Wii FIT's purpose is to help with that...

  • Lunamoonfang

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 9:14 pm GMT

    If the parents are ready to spend the time and money purchasing the game for their kids then they need to deal with the bare concequences of it, not take it to Nintendo's Doorstep because there little girl was told a little truth. Life is tough, get used to it, because if a game is calling you fat and your taking it that hard well wait till Junior High School

  • Myke_Kreed

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 7:35 pm GMT

    I'd suggest the parents take a look at how much value they're personally putting on the girls body-image. Even if they think they're reinforcing her posatively by saying she's skinny, or fit, or wears pretty clothes, etc. they are still reinforcing the notion that her appearance is what matters most (explaining why she would react so intensely to the oppinion of a mere videogame.)

    Teach this girl to value other things like knowledge, spirituality, charity, and/or other virtues that are worth distressing over. If she's crying at the word "fat" you may need to ask yourselves what YOU (the parent) are doing wrong rather than what Ninendo does. Lord knows a video game is the least of their worries when compared to teasing at school.

  • BloodRushin

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 10:00 pm GMT

    This is just plain sad... If you think you're fat little girl, I wouldn't have reassured you! YOU need to work on your weight little mis-make-ah-fit. If you're skinny, you know it! just because some dumb game tells you otherwise doesn't mean you have to go emotional and eat more to solve your depression. Big whoop! Build me a bridge, cry me a river, and get over it already! This is seriously, of the MOST ridiculous stories I have ever heard about...
    I reate this story...

    R- For retarded!

  • culixstar

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 5:56 pm GMT

    this is plain stupid and shows just how idiotic ppl can really be. its a dam weight scale from ppl to measure they're BMI and weight...nothing more. and for some reason ppl take crap like this and make big deals out of it is just sad. the parents should of just told the kid "honey, everyone isn't the same and so everyone in the world isn't meant to fit into a size 2-5 when they grow up or even ever. this machine is only saying what it was programmed to say.(which from my own use its doesn't say "your fat" only over weight and obese")your perfectly fine the way you are." but no, kid freaks out, parents don't no how to calm her down , and the new papers gotta make this look as bad as possible. my 9 year old niece, back when she was 8 was got on the wii fit board and was told she was over weight. and guess what.... no one freaked, she a bigger than a person would think a "normal" weight girl her age should be. that's just how it is for my niece and the girl this article is about. it sadness me that this family's issues became public, but ya can only really blame the parents for talking to the new ppl.

  • samnabag

    Posted Feb 23, 2009 9:21 pm GMT

    Don't blame nintendo. Blame the ESRB for rating it E for Everyone!

  • THEJRod09

    Posted Feb 23, 2009 8:49 pm GMT

    how about this, if the stupid kids if at then she needs to work on it. you're not stocky or big-boned or any of that. you're FAT! get outside and run around play a sport or something. a former teacher of mine lost over 150 lbs from diet and exercise he weighed over 330 lbs. no surgery or any of that. stop being lazy and stop whining.

  • SeanBond

    Posted Feb 23, 2009 8:28 pm GMT

    I feel for this kid, don't get me wrong; no 10 year old should need to be told they're fat. On the other hand, Wii Fit is a FITNESS ACCESSORY. I'm sorry, but there's only so far political correctness can go before it's completely out of control (if it's not already). You buy Wii Fit (which is probably geared more towards adults, anyway), and then complain when the game makes a blind estimate of your 10 year old child's weight? Maybe you should read up on what you buy your kids, before you go blaming Nintendo for being unable to forsee its harmless fitness game menacing small children.

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