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.
Shigeru Miyamoto - Photo Gallery
Nintendo's fabled designer through the years
More Shiggy Pics
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
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.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
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)
WOW!!!! that is so dumb but skinny people have a complex about gaining weight join the real world enjoy the game and work towards your goals. like someone said earlier it is what you put in that gives the totals!!!! so you are fat live with it and enjoy the game it is a challenge. i would like to see when these skinny people grow up what will happen
I have been reviewing all these comments and am surprised and sadenned by what I see. I especially have a bone to pick with Samuiselence. You are so judgmental and rude. I hope you do not have children as some people are emotionally unable to provide for the little ones. You need to practice humility and empathy. Not everyone is as perfect as you are!! By the way I'm not fat, I'm actually an in great shape and extemely sexy so don't think you can add me to the ones you judge. I just unlike you love people for who they are and will under no cir***stances rip someone apart, unlike you. Calling children prey and asking if they have eyes on the sides of your head. You Sir are not funny and I hope you feel for any children that will be going to sleep crying because of your hateful ignorant statements. I would like to meet with you personally to discuss your tunnel visioned views on what you know nothing about. You should keep your mouth shut for the greater good of the country. I for one would rather be fat than to be someone with your views. Good Day.
Im a fat happy man with a controler in my hand plaing video games! Who care's what the world has to say.I'm having a blast! I rather do video gaming than going for a jog,choking to death in agany! hehe They can keep running and I;'ll just keep clicking butrtons on my controler........Keep on gaming,and who cares what peeps say....
Can someone accross the pond tell me what six stone is in pounds or kilos?
QUIT CRYING THIN SKIN PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LOSERS. FAT IS A DISEASE OF SELF DISCIPLINE,SELF RESPECT ,AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS. WHEN YOU TAKE IN MORE CALORES THAN YOU BURN, YOU GET FAT. NO OTHER SO CALLED FACTS APPLY. SOCIAL PRESSURE IS POSITIVE. WHEN I REACHED 300 LBS I HAD TO ACCEPT THIS TRUTH TO LOSE WEIGHT. OVER WEIGHT CHILDREN IS A SIGN OF CHILD ABUSE.
She's offended because the game called her fat? Why should she? 4'9 and 6 stone is underweight. People just keep getting stupider and stupider.
=] thats sooo funny, wow, offended of being called fat, HA. actually this whole thing made me laugh, and i agree with the people who say, go cry bout, get over it, and deal with it. this is just too funny
the kid needs to toughen up...what happens when she goes to school and she is the last to be picked because she is a couch potato,,,is the parents going to sue the school because she can't play any games because she is so use to sitting on a couch?kids need exercise and to be able to run around and not sit all day in front of a tv game,,,, again we have to look at the parents they are the first teachers in a childs life..............
it is a game and how did the machine know to call her fat? whatever she keyed into the machine told her that.... even if an adult keyed the same thing in it would have told her that so it is only a machine.... it is not real and even if it was get off the couch and go outside and make friends and enjoy the earth by playing outside for a change.........between cell phones and gameboys, kids walk around like they are zombies.. the parents have electronic babysitters and they should have never had kids if they do not want to take responsibilty for them. it is your fault not ninetindo's you bought the game and the wii so stop blaming everyone else and open your eyes
Hey c'mon, if you're fat, you're fat. Deal with it.