If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Obesity expert batters Wii Fit after child is labelled overweight

Speaking to the Daily Mail, National Obesity Forum exec Tam Fry has said that Wii Fit should carry a warning about children using the product as Body Mass Index (BMI) is used as its primary measure.

"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."

Fry's comment came after a British child was told by the game that she was overweight, a fact that shocked her father.

"She is a perfectly healthy, 4ft 9in tall 10-year-old who swims, dances and weighs only six stone," he said anonymously due to fear of embarrassing the girl.

"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."

Nintendo issued a statement on the matter today:

"Nintendo would like to apologise 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.

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."

You're not fat, kids. You're beautiful just the way you are. More through the link.

Sign in and unlock a world of features

Get access to commenting, homepage personalisation, newsletters, and more!

Related topics
About the Author
Patrick Garratt avatar

Patrick Garratt

Founder & Publisher (Former)

Patrick Garratt is a games media legend - and not just by reputation. He was named as such in the UK's 'Games Media Awards', the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award. After garnering experience on countless gaming magazines, he joined Eurogamer and later split from that brand to create VG247, putting the site on the map with fast, 24-hour a day coverage, and assembling the site's earliest editorial teams. He retired from VG247, and the games industry, in 2017.

Comments