Obesity experts frown on Wii Fit's fatty-labeling, Nintendo apologizes

by Griffin McElroy { May 17th 2008 at 1:45PM }

Video games can occasionally be the source of some pretty disheartening self-realizations -- like the time Rock Band revealed that you've been lied to your entire life about your angelic singing voice, or when Vampire Rain made you realize that you have incredibly poor taste in video games. However, something tells us these revelations are a bit less heartbreaking than those about to be unleashed by Nintendo's latest best-seller, Wii Fit -- especially when the heart in question is the fragile, butter-soaked heart of an overweight child.

Or an average-weighted child, for that matter. You see, Wii Fit measures the user's Body Mass Index (BMI), a weight/height ratio commonly calculated by physicians, though the use of BMI measurements in children is criticized by many dietitians for its frequent inaccuracy. Nintendo recently issued an apology following an incident involving the hurtful labeling of a "solidly built" 10-year-old girl. So, it's like an electronic, $90 version of our fifth-grade gym teacher? We're sold!

Tags: apology, bmi, bodymassindex, fat, nintendo, overweight, weight, wii, wii fit, wii-fit, WiiFit

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

SWAT Kats are back! @ May 17th 2008 1:49PM

As long as it helps lead to the end of this idiotic BMI-Standard-for-health crap that's seemed to consume the country for the past few years or so, i'm game: even if it hurts Nintendo

BMI=Bogus

LaughingTarget @ May 17th 2008 1:59PM

BMI is not bogus, it just has to be applied properly. For your average, sedentary human, it is an excellent means to determine if someone is overweight. The only time BMI is a problem is for individuals that regularly exercise and weight train (which is not very many people these days).

Most people here can benefit and obtain very useful information utilizing BMI. These experts can criticize all they want, but we know the REAL reason they don't like it, this unhealthy obsession with putting self-esteem above personal health and well being. Hiding the facts don't help anyone and leads a child to a shortened, unhealthy life that does little more than drain medical resources for very preventable problems.

JCD @ May 17th 2008 9:24PM

Actually, I would like to add a little bit to this mayhem. I'm male, 6'0" tall, and I weight 235. That puts me at a BMI of 31.9, or obese. According to the BMI system, I should weight 180 lbs for my height.

The interesting thing is that I recently had a body weight analysis done as part of a wellness program at work, and found (surprisingly) that 180 lbs would put me dangerously underweight--200 lbs is a healthy weight given my body composition. And I'm not a bodybuilder or anything like that, I just genetically have more muscle and bone mass than many others my height.

So give the whole BMI thing a rest. It's an antiquated system that has been replaced with several far more accurate ways of analyzing body fat (one of which simply requires taking your shoes off and standing on a scale with special electrical leads on it).

Vidikron (FU) @ May 18th 2008 4:26AM

"200 lbs is a healthy weight given my body composition"

Yet you just stated you were 235. You ARE fat... which is exactly what the BMI tells you. And I don't know where you got the idea that 180 is dangerously underweight for someone 6' tall. That's pure bullshit. Also, the BMI charts give a range, they don't say you should weigh exactly 180 if you are 6'.

Laughing Target is exactly right, for the average person BMI works very well. The people for whom it is normally incorrect are those that have above average muscle mass. Most of these people are beyong the need to worry about their BMI anyway.

squeevi @ May 18th 2008 9:32AM

^^
Im not fat, Im just big boned!!

JCD @ May 18th 2008 2:08PM

First off, Vidikron, I know I'm fat (which is why I'm dieting and doing the wellness program at work). And second, fuck you. :)

"And I don't know where you got the idea that 180 is dangerously underweight for someone 6' tall. That's pure bullshit."

That's funny, because I got it from dietician with an MA who used bioelectrical impedence to determine my body fat percentage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage
I'll be sure to let her know that some internet troll said her education and science is 'pure bullshit.'

"Also, the BMI charts give a range, they don't say you should weigh exactly 180 if you are 6'."

According to the BMI charts, I should weigh between 140 to 180 lbs for my height. I would look like a coke fiend at those weights.

Laughing Target is, as per usual, a know-nothing jackass (with a great icon). Different people are just built differently, and a healthy weight for one 6' tall man may be totally different than a healthy weight for another 6' tall man. "All human beings aren't identical? That's unpossible!"

redspear @ May 18th 2008 7:37PM

Wow JCD you are an angry lot
here is the BMI chart

18.5 or less Underweight -- N/A
18.5 - 24.9 Normal -- N/A
25.0 - 29.9 Overweight Increased High
30.0 - 34.9 Obese High Very High
35.0 - 39.9 Obese Very High Very High
40 or greater Extremely Obese Extremely High Extremely High
Since you are 6 foot tall
At 200 lbs that puts you at 27 for your BMI and at your current what that puts you at 29.3 whch is the overwieght category. Your recommended weigth is 140-185.

Now the key here is body fat percentagein fact they also use waist size to determine risk. However being that I am 6 foot tall large frame and used to work at all the time I also seriously doubt that you who do not work out would be seriously underweight at 180. You may in fact be on the low end of fat percentages-you body fat percentage can be too low. However merely being overwieght in the BMI is not a bad thing either it just means you have to watch your weight or think about a little it does not mean you are unhealthy though. At 235 I would consider losing weight BTW I know I weigh 225 and am not obese either I know my target weigth is around 185-190 and I also know my body fat percentage from low density X-ray scans which are more accurate than your system.

The BMI is not perfect but it is a better guide than just throwing a weight on the screen. Since it gives a number that is a ratio between weigth and height.

JCD @ May 18th 2008 11:24PM

redspear, the info I gave was from the fda website, so I tend to trust my numbers more than yours. But they're close to yours; I'm not sure I understand your point in even fighting over it really.

I've actually lost 25 lbs so far on my current diet, by the way. I've known about the science for far too long, and I decided to do something about it. My beef is with the BMI system, which is a fossil, scientifically speaking--it was developed in the mid 19th century, for crying out loud. Check out the wikipedia article on the subject if you want to see the math behind the system (spoiler alert: it assumes tall people are just 'scaled up' versions of short people).

I can't comment on why my body fat percentage came back as low as it did. I really expected different results than I got. I happen to have relatively muscular legs (genetics I suppose, I'm no marathon runner), maybe that's it. I have broad shoulders too, so who knows? But I will say that I've actually given up on previous diets out of frustration because I thought I was still overweight thanks to the BMI system--and yeah, now I'm a little annoyed that I was at a healthy weight and shouldn't have gotten discouraged.

The biggest problem with the BMI system, though, is that as much as it was 'off base' for me, it's even worse for children. Healthy children at various stages have inherently higher body fat percentages than their adult counterparts. This facilitates their various growth spurts. I'm surprised nintendo was careless enough to put out a fitness product on their kid-friendly system that doesn't take age into account. And yeah, in a country where anorexia and bulemia are major health concerns, self-esteem does matter.

Oh, and I'm not particularly angry. I just don't happen to enjoy when someone pointedly calls me fat. I also don't like it when people point it out when I get a zit. Do you enjoy that sort of thing?

Schweppes7T4 @ May 19th 2008 10:13AM

i'm right there too. i'm 6'1'', and currently am very overweight (about 260). my doctor said i should be around 180 to 190 for my BMI to match up, and i laughed at her. see, i took tae kwon do for 8 years, and while i was still in it, the BEST i weighed was 205. and at that point i wasn't focusing on actual strength, just stamina. even now, with the muscle mass i've gained since i stopped, theres no way i'll get below 210-215.

BMI is just a load. its an OK guide, but you can't take it to heart.

Luke @ May 17th 2008 1:49PM

People shouldn't take this thing too seriously.

D_Average @ May 17th 2008 2:22PM

No kidding, if you're fat you're fat, who cares.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Justin T. McElroy Memorial Burn of the Day Award) @ May 17th 2008 1:57PM

I read yesterday that Missouri is attempting to pass a law making internet harassment against the law after a 13 year old with low self-esteem hung herself from internet insults. And now this...

I hate to ask, but our society grooming the ultimate generation of fucking pussies?

sicsided @ May 17th 2008 2:01PM

yes, yes they are. Thanks to technology, we have left ourselves weak.

crab battle @ May 17th 2008 2:01PM

"I hate to ask, but is our society grooming the ultimate generation of fucking pussies?"

Yes

LaughingTarget @ May 17th 2008 2:03PM

Tis a shame, too. We already passed the breaking point when celebrities go on the air and tell the nation it is perfectly acceptable to be a fat-ass. It isn't acceptable to be fat, it's insulting to everyone around you, especially those that care about you. Being a disgusting blob leads to health problems which puts undue stress on family and friends.

Time for folks to face reality, being told fantasy then having the truth thrown in your face is what's causing these problems and piling on more fantasy won't fix anything. Our society isn't desensitizing, it is overly sensitive and is in need of serious desensitizing if we're going to fix these problems.

reppy @ May 17th 2008 2:04PM

"I hate to ask, but our society grooming the ultimate generation of fucking pussies?"

Fuck you!

Yes, it has.

Roto13 @ May 17th 2008 2:10PM

Harassment is already against the law. Why shouldn't it be legal online?

Dracard @ May 17th 2008 2:11PM

Slightly unrelated, but how vague is that law? As fucked up as that lady was for doing that, I'm not so sure about that law.

If someday we make fun of some kid on these comments, for example, and s/he decides to kill himself, are all those people who commented screwed, even if just in jest?

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ May 17th 2008 2:33PM

I'm sorry Laughing Target, but if you think being incisive against people for being fat will somehow help you've got the wrong idea. Yes, people who are over-weight would be well advised to lose weight to get more healthy, but telling them that it's "insulting to everyone around you" is just being a dick! It's not. It might be insulting to a doctor who's prognosed specific dietary arrangments and than had them starkly disobeyed, but if you're insulted by fat people than you're clearly not speaking from experience or with any measure of sympathy. Losing weight isn't about making people feel bad until they do it out of sheer necessity of harassment; people have to be supported and helped to make themselves healthier, by the very loved ones who you claim should be insulted.

Being fat is acceptable, but it's better to be thinner for many reasons. To be frank, in a country where healthcare isn't free i don't see how such a thing reaches the heights of concerns. Can it be that the free market isn't as universally applicable as people would like it to be?

Martez @ May 17th 2008 2:48PM

lol @ expecting LT to be sympathetic

mr nimblewick @ May 17th 2008 3:30PM

@A Pissed-off English Gamer

Just keep repeating that to yourself next time a morbidly obese person sits next to you on the bus or plane.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ May 17th 2008 3:47PM

@pissed

There's a big difference between fat, and morbidly obese. Seriously someone needs to tell these people to get on a fucking treadmill and work out.

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ May 17th 2008 4:11PM

Yeah, I'm tired of this "low self-esteem" BS. I'm also tired of political correctness. Perhaps the two are related...

You have two choices in life:
1) Be fat, and live with it. Deal with the related hardships.
2) Do something, you fatass! Lose a few pounds. Cut out some unhealthy food choices, get in some more physical exercise.

It isn't healthy being excessively overweight. A few extra pounds isn't gonna kill you, though.

KirbyMeister @ May 17th 2008 4:59PM

So it's a law against trolling?

Haha, I'd LOVE to see them try to enforce that.

Korova @ May 17th 2008 5:08PM

Yes, but only half are fucking pussies.

The other half are total dicks.

Cal @ May 17th 2008 5:55PM

"So it's a law against trolling?"

Uh oh. Well it was nice to know you comments section...

Also, +1 for Team American ref, Korova.

LaughingTarget @ May 17th 2008 10:20PM

The Tez knows me all too well. I am a human callous. Fat is wrong, no two ways around it.

chez @ May 18th 2008 5:04AM

I don't know about Fid... but I'd rather have 1 "pussy" of a person on earth than a dead one. His opinions might be different on the matter of someone being bullied and taking their own life.

WLT @ May 17th 2008 2:01PM

Maybe shame based weight labeling is what's needed to get Billy and Sandy FatassSixChin in shape. It works for the Japanese.

Shagittarius @ May 17th 2008 2:14PM

Yes pressure works very well for getting people in shape, now where did I put that detergent.

Foetoid @ May 17th 2008 9:29PM

You're an idiot WLT. The problem here is thin healthy young people are being labeled as fat. I read a story about a 11yr old female soccer player who is quite thin, but also has a decent amount of lean muscle because of the soccer games. She's not fat, but BMI doesnt take into account that muscle is heavier than fat, so she was labeled as a fatty. You know what that does to the self-esteem of an 11yr old girl? Nintendo needs to seriously address this issue somehow.

WLT @ May 17th 2008 11:40PM

Alot of fatties us that "muscle weighs more than fat" excuse. If her self esteem is hurt because a game tells her she's a fat-ass, then she better toughen up cuz' the real world is going eat her alive. I just hope they don't choke on her and die.

xeleion @ May 18th 2008 12:13PM

@Foetoid

Then maybe that 11yr old girl should have learned from her parents NOT to listen to everything that she hears. Or maybe she could listen to her parents when they say "What that game says isn't true; you're not fat." OR... maybe she can just take a look around her and see that she's thinner than 75% of the local population. I don't know, I'm just sayin.

Also, I'm so, so, SO sick of looking everywhere in this damn country and seeing nothing but Americans who are way too emotionally weak and self-conscious. I'm tired of hearing people state that they're only going to drink skim milk because your any other milk is sooooo unhealthy, and that it's a sin to eat anything that's not labeled "Non-fat" of something that more than two calories just because that's what the TV says and they don't have enough sense to take things with a grain of salt. Why does modern American society lack a backbone? How irksome... I think I'm moving to Canada.

driven2sin @ May 17th 2008 2:02PM

of course it was wrong, how can anyone be fat in Britain with the tasteless food they have

but seriously, wii fit is just making sure all those girls begin with bolimia and then continue with anorexia when wii stripper pole comes out in a few years

Nikonov @ May 17th 2008 2:04PM

... If the girl's a lardass, the girl's a lardass. Why else would her parents have bought her Wii Fit?

BlaqueBeird @ May 18th 2008 2:18PM

Shh, don't tell them that! Then they'll realise Nintendo's nefarious plot to raise the average life expectancy to more than 50 (or 7000 hamburgers)!

EmptyEnergy @ May 17th 2008 2:20PM

Put the f'ing spoon down. Really. People look to blame others when its their own fault they can't stop eating or don't exercise.

One thing about 'obese' people that upset me is when I go to an amusement park and their fat asses try and try to get their fat ass shoved into the roller coaster. The process takes an additional 15 mins for them to realize they can't fit.

/rant

B3astofthe3ast @ May 17th 2008 2:25PM

This is ridiculous....I'm tired of what we're doing to these kids, from telling them "You didn't lose, you just won last", and the like, to stuff like this. If we don't start telling these kids to quit there bitchin and realize that they suck when they do fuck up, there not gonna be prepared for when it happens in the real world.

Seriosly, Self Esteem does nothing for you in a real, competitive world where your expected to deliver, and we should be telling these kids when they lost, and to fix it, and if they start to bitch and moan about how they got there feelings hurt, thats something for them to resolve and fix on there own. They need to learn now that there feelings aren't going to matter on things like a college application, or a job interview.

Martez @ May 17th 2008 2:49PM

Things that do: decent spelling.

Pro-Truth League @ May 17th 2008 3:50PM

Someone watched Carlin's last HBO special.

tmacairjordan87 @ May 17th 2008 2:27PM

Waaaaaaaah it told me I was fat so instead of actually doing something about it I'm going to whine, complain and eat more.

Grow up, quit your bitching and get on the treadmill you fat fuck

john @ May 17th 2008 2:30PM

Try reading the article that is linked it says how she swims, does gymnastics and other things and weighs 84 pounds.

tmacairjordan87 @ May 17th 2008 2:34PM

That doesn't change the fact that a large portion of actual fat people do exactly what I said above.

The bigger picture is this just continues the pussification of america where we reward last place, sue the county or state or whatever when our kids hurt themselves playing in a regular park, and tell our kids it's ok to take up 3/4 of an elevator by themselves.

It really fucking sucks.

tmacairjordan87 @ May 17th 2008 2:39PM

Oh snap it happened in the UK? Didn't know the entire world was becoming a bunch of pussies too, thought it was just us.

WLT @ May 17th 2008 5:29PM

And stop eating fried butter!

shane @ May 17th 2008 2:41PM

Fat kid is called fat....blames nintendo. classic

Maverick Saturn @ May 17th 2008 2:43PM

Wii Fit: Sorry you're just too fat, we can't even make you fit.

1 Year later

Wii Plastic surgery is released.

Skippy @ May 19th 2008 12:47PM

Complete with liposuction Wii-mote attachment.

Ridgecity @ May 17th 2008 2:47PM

don't buy exercise games for your fat kids and expect your kid is gonna be ok...

One of my cousins has a kid and he's an obese kid, one of the husband or another cousin trains junior league soccer teams and she told him to get the kid in one, so he agreed, and got him into a game, of cour se the kid got depressed he could never run as fast and as long as all the other kids and he dropped out after one game, his mom hates the guy for what happened. The only fault here is the kid's mom, rather than get him into dieting and exercise she wants to avoid the reality... just wait until he starts looking at women and getting rejected...