An innocent Nintendo game about balance and fitness is probably the last product that would ever come to mind when you think about video game controversy, but Nintendo's popular Wii Fit (which went on sale in Europe in late April and is launching in the U.S. on May 19) has prompted some experts to question Nintendo's methods for measuring body weight and fitness.
A report in the U.K. paper Daily Mail highlighted an incident in which a 10-year-old girl was told by the Wii Fit software that she's "fat." The girl was very upset to be told that and the parents were none too pleased.
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A famous video game creator for Japanese video game giant Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, demonstrates how to use the new fitness video game on the new balancing board controller for the company's video game console Wii in Chiba, suburban Tokyo, 10 October 2007. Nintendo will launch the new fitness video game softwarer WiiFit including the balancing board controller on 01 December.
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A famous video game creator for Japanese video game giant Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, demonstrates how to use the new fitness video game on the new balancing board controller for the company's video game console Wii in Chiba, suburban Tokyo, 10 October 2007. Nintendo will launch the new fitness video game softwarer WiiFit including the balancing board controller on 01 December.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
The famous video game creator for Japanese video game giant Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, displays the new balancing board controller for the company's video game console Wii in Chiba, suburban Tokyo, 10 October 2007. Nintendo will launch a new fitness video game software WiiFit, including the balancing board controller on 01 December.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
The famous video game creator for Japanese video game giant Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, displays the new balancing board controller for the company's video game console Wii in Chiba, suburban Tokyo, 10 October 2007. Nintendo will launch a new fitness video game software WiiFit, including the balancing board controller on 01 December.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
Tokyo, JAPAN: Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto displays the remote control of the new video game console 'Wii' at a press preview in Tokyo. Nintendo recalled 3.2 million wrist straps for its new Wii console ,15 December 2006, after reports of enthusiastic users inadvertently sending the motion-sensing controller crashing into their TV screens.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
Tokyo, JAPAN: Japan's video game giant Nintendo game creator Shigeru Miyamoto (L), known as the father of Super Mario, and President Satoru Iwata playing a tennis game during a demonstration at a press conference in Tokyo. The Japanese electronic game maker Nintendo said Friday 15 December 2006 it was not recalling motion-sensing controllers for its new Wii model but would exchange wrist straps that have broken inadvertently. 'Nintendo is not recalling wrist straps furnished with the motion-sensing remote control unit for its new computer game Wii,' the company said in a French-language statement received in Paris.
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Nintendo's Wii Games Console To Go On Sale In Europe
TOKYO - DECEMBER 7: Nintendo president Satoru Iwata (R) and software creator Shigeru Miyamoto (L) demonstrate game Wii during a press conference on December 7, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. Wii will go on sale on December 8 in Europe.Junko Kimura/Getty Images
Nintendo's Wii Games Console To Go On Sale In Europe
TOKYO - DECEMBER 7: Nintendo president Satoru Iwata (L) and software creator Shigeru Miyamoto (R) present the Wii game console during a press conference on December 7, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. Wii will go on sale on December 8 in Europe.Junko Kimura/Getty Images
Nintendo's Wii Games Console To Go On Sale In Europe
TOKYO - DECEMBER 7: Nintendo president Satoru Iwata (L) and software creator Shigeru Miyamoto (R) present the company's new remote games console, Wii, during a press conference on December 7, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. Wii will go on sale on December 8 in Europe.Junko Kimura/Getty Images
Tokyo, JAPAN: Japan's video game giant Nintendo President Satoru Iwata (L) and the company's game creator Shigeru Miyamoto, known as father of Super Mario, shows a controler from Nintendo's new video game console 'Wii' at a press conference in Tokyo 07 December 2006. Nintendo said 15 December 2006 that it will recall 3.2 million hand straps for its new Wii games console after reports of users inadvertently throwing the motion-sensing controller into their TV screens.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
"She is a perfectly healthy, 4ft 9in tall 10-year-old who swims, dances and weighs only six stone," said the father. "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. I know it is just a game but we already have to worry about young girls starving themselves to look like magazine models and now we have a game that tells them they're fat. This to me is very worrying."
It's apparently worrying to Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum as well. In Wii Fit after a player enters his/her height, the software uses BMI to measure body fat based on an adult's height and weight. Fry, however, thinks the measurement is misleading and he'd like to see children banned from playing the game.
"I'm absolutely aghast that children are being told they are fat," he said. "BMI is far from perfect but with children it simply should not be used. 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."
For its part, Nintendo acknowledged that it's not the most accurate tool for children to measure body fat and the company apologized. "Nintendo would like to apologize to any customers offended by the in-game terminology used to classify a player's current BMI status, as part of the BMI measurement system integrated into Wii Fit," a company rep said. "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."
Reader Comments (525)
Is that a typo ? "WII fit is still capable of measuring BMI for people between ages two to twenty" What about us older folks? It would seem this thing is made for older folks also.
Children now adays are so into technology. I remember when I was still a child. A black/white gameboy could already make me happy. But now, whenever I try to go to a mall. I see children (10 years below) asking their parents to get them a nintendo wii, a playstation 3 or PSP. Children should be out of their home enjoying nature at its best. By the way. I salute all the parents who give their child the best that they can. I understand that they just want their children to experience how enjoyable life could be. To all the people who already have their WII FIT... WAIT FOR ME Till I get one.. Enjoy playing.. to jjjoeyann - pulut means honey... the sweet honey..
hey now, lets just be honest. just because you dont like the way the world sees you does not make it wrong. hey kid (actualy you old enough to read this at this hour or later and are accountable for your lives) youre fat. you probably will be for the rest of your ostracised life. sorry. blame your parents or your diet or your time you spend playing video games and not actualy playing. all griping guilty, pathetic parents trying to validate their sloppy dna and sloth lifestyles. be happy we are not struggling as part of the food chain. you sound like food. p.s. are your eyes on the sides of your head... prey...
This is just painful! The obsession with body body body.... is plain nuts. Starved anorexic models are held up as "ideal " images and children who should be innocent and free of all silly concerns over their image are being subjected to this nonsense. And Americans are still FAT ..... no matter how many programs or gyms or books or TV shows .... we're still FAT. Why ??? ... because we eat so damned MUCH FOOD! It isn't carbs or no carbs .... cookies or carrot sticks. It's QUANTITY. And parents can control this for themselves and their children. I lost 30 pounds by simply reducing QUANTITY ... and substituting water for soda at my meals and skipping cheese as a condiment on burgers, I also cut the size of my burger buns and slices of pie. But I ate chocolate and cooked in butter. Four years now ... no weight gain and no stupid conversations about "my diet" .... which has to be the most tedious subject ever introduced into a conversation. STOP EATING LIKE PIGS ... simple ...
i swear... we have had kids admitted to our hospital.... the problem ...ALWAYS .... because of video games.......various reasons....can't stop.....emulate the charactors..... excuse their behavior because of the games..... sign of other problems ..... NOT THE GAMES!!!!
i agree... so much richeywj.... and thanks for your comment
pulut?
People have choices and we make them everyday, now as a parent if I think my child is so shallow minded that they will be hurt by playing a game then I would make the choice not to buy the game for them. You read ever day it is always someone elses fault but we as parents have the full responsibility in how we raise and teach our children. I'm really sorry that this young girl was so upset at what this video game told her but if that is the worst she is told in life she is very lucky and should be told that now. But I go back to the Parents make the choice.
sometimes kids are just in things for their parents.....let them be kids....running jumping and playing.......... the body image or goals are really from the parents(media) .....wanting them to be successful.... losing perspective encourage less games.... more play
I would like to get 1 of this so that my gurl (MARIAN) can try it and enjoy it,, ne pulut? pulut pulut pulut... Love you..