Thu, May 22, 2008 | 08:56 BST
Wii Fat girl appears on BBC, “mortified” mother calls for warning
This isn’t going away. The UK girl branded “overweight” by Wii Fit has appeared on the BBC News with her mother, who has called for a warning to be put onto the game.
“I was mortified,” said mum, talking of 11 year-old Tobia’s request to go on a diet after the incident. “You can see she’s just lovely and tall and slim, and I was really upset. I think there should be an age limit on the BMI calculation on the game.”
She added: “She’s at a very impressionable age. She’s growing up. She’s starting high school in September and I don’t want her going on a diet. She’s got a lot of growing left to do, and I don’t think children should be told they’re overweight or obese.”
“The whole process of labelling a child as overweight or obese is not helpful,” said the program’s ‘Doctor Jonty’.
“It’s a shame, because we have a problem with childhood obesity and we want to do is to be encouraging children to take more physical activity, and, sadly, having to do that through electronic means, through the Wii, may be a good way of doing that. So the fact that Tobia was doing it is great: she was taking some physical activity. What we don’t want is children worrying excessively about their weight at such an early age, because then you’ve got the risk of eating disorders in the longer term.”
The girl’s mother did go on to say that she’d have no problem letting Tobia continue to play Wii Fit as it sounded “fantastic”, but reiterated the point that there should be a warning on the product for parents.
Nintendo has already released a statement on the matter, offering an apology “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.”
Watch the video here.
17 comments
#1
G1GAHURTZ
21/05/08, 4:50 pm
Well, if she typed her height and weight into a BMI calculator on the internet, she’d get the exact same result, right?
#2
patlike
21/05/08, 4:53 pm
They were saying that BMI isn’t a correct way to measure health in children. Honestly, watch the video. She’s thin, if anything.
#3
morriss
21/05/08, 5:09 pm
Can I be the first to say Jesus fucking Christ!
#4
deanimate
21/05/08, 5:33 pm
she’s not fat and doesnt look skinny either. a good healthy weight i would say.
i bet she doesn’t eat too much Jam Roast™
#5
Psychotext
21/05/08, 5:36 pm
lol @ the lardarse mii. =D
#6
patlike
21/05/08, 6:00 pm
PT:
#7
dtredrea
21/05/08, 9:07 pm
Ok time we just said it:
Whether you are ‘fat’ or not has nothing to do with Wii Fit and everything to do with how many beers we’ve drank.
It is just that simple.
#8
patlike
21/05/08, 9:30 pm
This is correct. That girl looked pretty pissed to me. She had it coming.
#9
pjmaybe
22/05/08, 7:38 am
Much as I hate these fucking idiots, she’s actually right in that Nintendo should’ve made it a hell of a lot clearer that the BMI method of indication used in Wii Fit is completely unsuitable for children, as is the universal standard BMI test. As someone’s already said you’d get the same results on any BMI calculator, not just Wii Fit.
But hey, s’long as the beeb can run yet another anti gaming story, everyone’s happy right?
#10
patlike
22/05/08, 7:55 am
I think they have a point, personally. It isn’t accurate to use BMI as an indication of how “fit” a child is, and it is damaging to label a child “overweight” when they clearly aren’t. All Nintendo needs to do is put a sticker on the box. The question isn’t whether or not they have a case to answer – they’ve already admitted they have – it’s why they won’t do something about it.
#11
pjmaybe
22/05/08, 8:05 am
The missus mentioned this when we first got Wii Fit – that Nintendo really are doing the same trick they did with Brain Training and turning something relatively “for fun” into something it’s not – a scientific and medically proven method for turning you into Charles Atlas or Paris Hilton overnight.
Still, in our litigious society sensationalist pap like this gets more attention than people exercising common sense, so well done Auntie Beeb for wrapping the world up in cotton wool again, hurrah!
#12
patlike
22/05/08, 8:12 am
I do think it’s a legitimate story, though. It’s right that the BBC question it. Stuff like this – especially at this level of sales – can have a real social impact, and the bottom line is that Nintendo’s making money from telling people they’re not fit enough. In most cases that’s fine, but in this case it isn’t and I don’t see the problem with highlighting it. As I said, I think the real question is why Nintendo’s refusing to actually do anything about it.
#13
morriss
22/05/08, 8:12 am
After I moaned at how pathetic the parents were and then got chastised by my missus that they indeed did have a point (thus agreeing with Pat and peej I had to concede that she (thus you two weirdos) have a point.
However, I really think the parents want some money out of Ninty and are trying to turn it into a media circus. Ninty are in the wrong, they apologised. The hurt a child’s feelings unintentionally through ‘minor negligence’ (ho-ho), that’s all.
I reckon mummy and daddy know that Uncle Nintendo have got shitloads and are hoping for a nice little comp for shutting tfu.
Also, Pat’s right, they should actively put a stick on the box or something like that.
#14
pjmaybe
22/05/08, 8:16 am
The last bit of what you said Moz is exactly what I thought when I first ran the story. Fair enough, they don’t even own the bloody thing and she played it at a friends, and fair enough she was probably a bit embarrased when it labelled her overweight but oh my if that’s the worst thing that ever happens to her in her life, I think she’ll do alright.
Parents seem all too quick to wrap their kids up in cotton wool to protect ‘em from the “big evil” world out there. But nah, I reckon you’re right – this whiffs of a moneyspinner to me.
Ninty should just send them a free sticker in the post that says “Wii Fit’s BMI is not for kids! Have a nice day” – That’s what I’d do.
#15
pjmaybe
22/05/08, 8:18 am
Pat – I don’t question that it’s a legit story – just about every games site is running it this morning. But the Beeb seem to have this weird “thing” going on with gaming, I wouldn’t even describe it as a love hate relationship – more seizing on the negative side of gaming and the industry, and paying mere lip service to the positive stuff.
Still, they’ve got some way to go before they catch up with my local commercial radio station that I do stuff for now and again. They REALLY hate gaming (they’re part of the Capital network which probably explains a lot).
#16
morriss
22/05/08, 8:18 am
Yeah, in true left-wing, socialist fashion I declare that all three of us are right. Pat, peej and myself. Now let’s all get copies of Rock Band and play together.
#17
pjmaybe
22/05/08, 10:04 am
I’m working on it, I’m working on it.
Though the missus has expressly stated that she put up with the force feedback wheel, the bongos, the light guns, the Wii Fit Board and the Guitar Hero guitars – but divorce proceedings would ensue if Rock Band appears within a 500 yard radius of Maybe Towers.