354
rate

Outrage as Wii Fit labels healthy child as "overweight"

May 06, 2008 in News comments 30

In a society obsessed with image, could Wii Fit's BMI measurements mistakenly be putting more pressure on impressionable young players to become anxious over their weight? Some players certainly think a worrying trend could be afoot.

One player explains that her healthy and active ten-year-old relative was 'devastated' when Wii Fit deemed that she was a little on the heavy side, and that the family "had to work hard to convince her that she isn't."
shuandrew via wiifitchat.blogspot.com »
Favourite this article Add source
| More
Report!
Additional sources:
Latest comment:
Most recently commented on by on May 14, 2008

Comments

Register as a member to subscribe comments.
  • 1
    Miss Razz May 6, 08
    quote
    Wii Fit users are worried that the software could be shattering the impressionable psyches of young 'uns when it mistakenly labels them as overweight.
    I wonder if it is mistakenly labelling children as overweight? Maybe the children are overweight, and their parents just don't want to admit it or can't see it? (so they just blame Nintendo for being "wrong" instead)

    - - - - - - - - - -

    Also ... is BMI calculated the same in Japan as it is in the US?
    Or has Wii Fit been changed to accomodate Westerner's bodies/weight? (What could be considered "overweight" in Japan might be considered "healthy" over here).
    Just a thought.
    I'd hope that, if that was an issue, Nintendo would have changed it though.
    • 0
      Remino52 May 9, 08
      I agree with you completely.
  • 0
    joshuam May 6, 08
    ive been classed as underweight yet im 11 stone and 16 :S
  • 1
    bbb7002004 May 6, 08
    People need to grow thicker skin. To be perfectly honest, if the opinion of a computer game is enough to cause "devastation," then your problems go far beyond BMI.
    • 5
      Deathman48 May 6, 08
      It was a 10 year old girl that the article was talking about. Children can be very impressionable, especially in today's society. I'd hardly class Wii Fit as a "computer game" either, so really your comment is pretty much void. How is a 10 year old supposed to understand that the machine may not be 100% accurate? The parents probably should have checked it out on themselves first and researched that it may not be accurate before giving it to their child to use.
      • 0
        bbb7002004 May 6, 08
        I guess my point is that I feel that children shouldn't be "very impressionable, especially in today's society." Self confidence is an essential skill that parents should instill in their children as soon as possible for them to lead a productive life in a world that can be incredibly cruel, even towards children. For example, I imagine most 10 olds are subjected to far more cruel ridicule at school by peers than they are by playing Wii Fit.

        As for the classification of Wii Fit, I really don't see why that matters. To begin with, the label is irrelevant to the point I made, beyond being the most simple expression I could think of at the time describe the program. Beyond that, it is on a video game console and it does contain game activities, such as hula hoops, soccer ball heading, and other pure games along with the exercise aspect. Also, since a competitive stat tracking program can be used within a family, I don't see why you couldn't classify it as a computer game, as you would classify a children's game to teach reading or math a game as well.
        • -3
          Final Blade May 6, 08
          Why? Kids are always impressionable its just how it is, they can't change it, normally.
          Kids are impacted by things around them, and that age is one of those where things you do impacts them. Its how they are, this will just make them think badly about themselves, its not good.

          Im healthy myself, but im also slightly overweight. But being overweight doesn't make you not healthy. Its being Obese that does, i take vitamins a hell of a lot and eat some good stuff. However i have more muscle than fat, but when i was weighted at school it labeled me as overweight(school Nurse) since it had something to do with my muscle, but i barely listen to the nurse on that subject anyway.
  • 0
    McClubbin May 6, 08
    In response to Gothic Girl's question: BMI is a universal form of measurement. However, the pitfall of the concept is that it does not account for the body-fat ratio since the only variables in BMI are height and weight. An illustration of this point would be that you have a person who weighs 170 pounds and the bulk of this is muscle. By using BMI, Wii Fit would declare this person to be overweight (though height would also be a factor) even though most of his weight is muscle and not fat.
    • 0
      Miss Razz May 7, 08
      Ah, okay. Thanks for that. ^^
      That makes sense, now that I think about it.

      ... I guess that makes the second half of my first post irrelevant. XD
    • 0
      Miss Razz May 7, 08
      bah. double posted again. (X_X)
  • 3
    Donnelly May 6, 08
    I, for one, am outraged by this.




    Oh and lol @ people who take BMI as a serious measurement. It only takes two things into account, height and weight. Bone density and muscle can throw it way off.
  • 0
    Bri May 6, 08
    Like Deathman said, kids are impressionable, I know I used to hold technology in the utmost regard growing up.

    I honestly didn't even know Wii had this feature, and I for one think it should be removed. It's obviously flawed and really could save Nintendo a lawsuit if they were to remove it, God forbid a kid kills themself because a machine tells them they're "heavy" (It could happen - low self-esteem can do a lot), then the Wii could have partial responsibility...
    • 0
      Donnelly May 6, 08
      It's not a feature of the Wii. It's a feature of Wii Fit which is a game (lol) for the Wii.

      edit: Ah yes. I can see exactly why this would get -3 thumbs.
  • 1
    IAMJOB56 May 6, 08
    The Body mass index is faulty in the first place! it is wrong by Half, generally. Saying my dad, a guy who has been around 225 Pounds all his life, should be about 150 pounds. This is just wrong, period.
  • 1
    kik36 May 6, 08
    People shouldn't take it so offensively.
  • 2
    Twisted May 7, 08
    It's just a game. You can't expect games to be right all the time. They don't need to spaz over it.
  • 2
    Subtle Demise May 7, 08
    Waaaah! The game said I was fat! Wow, kids suck and parents sheltering them and turning them into little shitheads is even worse.
  • 2
    BANDITO ATTACK May 7, 08
    you dont have to be fat to be a lazy asshole
  • 0
    Matty1357 May 7, 08
    This is soo stupid.
    Why would you listen to a game that tells you that you are overweight and then freak out?
  • 0
    Bale Fire May 7, 08
    If your under 10 you may well do that
  • 1
    Big A2* May 7, 08
    quote
    One player explains that her healthy and active ten-year-old relative was 'devastated' when Wii Fit deemed that she was a little on the heavy side, and that the family "had to work hard to convince her that she isn't."
    This is just one little girl who is having trouble with a game calling her "a little on the heavy size". This girl obviously has problems within herself if she needs heavy convincing she isn't "a little on the heavy side".
  • 2
    RabidChinaGirl May 7, 08
    There are worse things out there than Wii Fit that might make a child (or any impressionable person) feel insecure. I mean if she can put up with the media/advertisements pushing a certain image, then I don't see why she'd get so worked up over a Wii game's assessment.

    Besides, in Wii Sports it rates your physical age, and in Brain Age they'll measure your mental capabilities. Oh, dang, my DS is telling me I'm stupid. *emo*

    The girl should get over it eventually (then again, we don't know what she really looks like). Called growing up.
  • 1
    Capn Droid May 7, 08
    Weight x 700 / Height in inches / Height in inches = BMI

    The accurate calculation of BMI, straight from your calculator. Just take that, and not anything from the Wii Fit. Easy as that.
    • -1
      Final Blade May 7, 08
      So after multiplying the weight with 700 do you divide twice?
      • -1
        Capn Droid May 8, 08
        Just read the formula. =\
        • -1
          Final Blade May 8, 08
          Um i did, but i wasn't sure what the "/ Height in inches / Height in inches" meant? I don't know that formula since i don't keep tabs on my own body percentages. Thats why im asking you.
        • -2
          Donnelly May 14, 08
          It's a pretty simple mathematic equation. =/
  • 0
    Miss Razz May 8, 08
    I just read the original post from the mother ...

    quote
    She is 92lbs and 4ft9" tall and there is not an inch of fat on her. She is solidly built but not fat.
    92 pounds at ten years old? Sounds like she's overweight to me. iirc, the average weight for a ten year old girl is somewhere between 80-85 pounds.

    ("solidly built" lol. heard that excuse before...)
    • 0
      Capn Droid May 8, 08
      Using the formula I provided:

      92 x 700 = 64,400
      Ans / 571 = 1,129.82456
      Ans / 572 = 19.8214835 ~ 20

      In all honesty, she's quite normal in weight. We consider a ten year old girl's average weight, but let's also consider the average height. Perhaps she's taller than other people.
      • 1
        Big A2* May 14, 08
        My health teacher told me that 20 is about the right BMI for an average kid. A 14 year old kid.

This news story is archived and is closed to comments now.