Wii Fit has a broad definition of fat

by Candace Savino { May 7th 2008 at 12:00PM }

Don't take Wii Fit's weight assessments to heart.

According to an angry poster at DISBoards, the game recently labeled a ten year old child in the UK as overweight, even though she's 4'9" and weights only six stones (84 pounds). Ouch. We're no doctors, but from what we can tell by browsing around the 'net, that's actually underweight. Assuming the poster isn't lying and that all the information was entered in correctly, we're surprised that Wii Fit would make such a mistake. We know that BMI calculations aren't always accurate in classifying someone's health, but that just seems ridiculous.

The relative of the girl said that the child was pretty devastated by Wii Fit's assessment, and her family had a hard time convincing her that she wasn't fat.

While we don't appreciate Wii Fit's attempt to make people look like mini-Skeletors, the message is clear: take this game with a grain of salt. Wii Fit isn't a doctor or nutritionist -- it's just a game. So don't let it launch you into a hunger strike, or turn you into an anorexic.

Gallery: Wii Fit

[Via CVG]

Tags: bmi, fat, obese, wii-fit

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Nigeria @ May 7th 2008 12:18PM

This is the funniest story of the week I've read, so far.

The subsequent comments over at Kotaku and on that Disney board were simultaneously hilarious and disconcerting. I know one thing: if I was the mother, or father, I wouldn't have gone on the internet to discuss this sensitive issue. The internet is well too unforgiving. Unfortunately, stories like this always seem to bring out the worst of some people.

It seems unless you're a stick thin model you're automatically labelled a fat piggy. Though, isn't six stone a little heavy for a ten year old girl? I'm not sure. It sounds a little heavy, I think.

Waffala @ May 7th 2008 12:47PM

That sounds higher than normal, I don't know if I'd go as far as fat, but that's certainly can't be Fit, unless of course she's totally ripped, which I kind of doubt.

Waffala @ May 7th 2008 12:48PM

edit: that's = that

Ninty wants you to be lean :)

Jeremy Clark @ May 7th 2008 12:18PM

I'm still trying to figure out how so many people on an English language message board have complaints about the Wii Fit when the game still hasn't been released in any English speaking countries. Something about this doesn't smell right.

Ashley Boyd @ May 7th 2008 12:25PM

As much of a small island as we are the UK does speak English (...mostly) and the game was released two weeks ago.

Sonic_13 @ May 7th 2008 12:26PM

It was released in Europe on April 25 and today in Australia, so it's widely available (assuming one can actually find a copy in stores) in English speaking countries.

Sonic_13 @ May 7th 2008 12:30PM

They must have did something wrong (or it simply isn't true). The game has a super accurate scale and I'm sure it was programmed with very specific definitions, probably based on one of these standard BMI charts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Body_mass_index_chart.svg

danny. @ May 7th 2008 2:32PM

Am I reading that wrong? According to that chart at 6' and 152lbs would be right in the middle of the normal range. That's what I had to cut weight to in high school for wrestling and I was well below dangerous body fat levels. Now (10+ years later) I'm sitting happily in the overweight range at 185... Seems pretty harsh

Julien @ May 7th 2008 3:39PM

135lbs - 175lbs is "normal" at 6 feet.
You're on the borderline of normal, the important thing is not to be obese

PiemanPieman @ May 7th 2008 12:48PM

Overweight and fat aren't exactly the same thing. I'm overweight, and yet despite my propensity for pie I'm not fat. Five pounds can make all the difference, and that's why she got Wii Fit in the first place, isn't it?

I knew girls in high school that were into basketball and all sorts of stuff, and they might be labelled overweight. Fat though? Not unless you are nuts.

CJLopez @ May 7th 2008 2:16PM

I'm also overweigth, I'm 196 cm's and weigth around 140 kg, still, you see me, i'm not Fat or that chubby, actually, i'm a rectangle, or have a rectangle form, while a co-worker, he's 180cm and says to weight only 110 and man, he's FAT!!!!, he nearly can't come cross the door office

Dreganfyre @ May 7th 2008 1:06PM

Hmmm... If you read the entire thread, it seems that problem was that he had the balance board on carpet, and a couple of other people had the same problem. I guess that it needs to be on a solid surface in order to give an accurate reading... That could be kind of a pain!

SoshiKitai @ May 7th 2008 1:39PM

Nice to know.

Maybe that's why they wanted people to buy that Wii Fit mat-thing.

PostScript @ May 7th 2008 1:10PM

This does not come as much of a surprise. It has been known for quite some time that the Body Mass Index is skewed and provides inaccurate assessments of weight. For example, I am approximately 6'0" and 175lbs. by this standard it would state I am borderline average (on the high end of the scale). However, my body fat percentage is approximately 12% and I run 4 miles a day (and eat less than 20g of fat a day and less than 2400 calories a day) – case in point, I am rather conscious and active regarding health practices yet still “borderline average”. This is compounded in females, whose bodies are naturally comprised of more fat (and are typically shorter than males). Thus the BMI in many ways perpetuates unrealistic expectations for women regarding body size, and is not reflective of the appropriate or “healthy” weight women should aspire towards. I understand that this is a standardized style of measurement, but it is unfortunate that Nintendo opted to use the BMI for assessment purposes. Look forward to hearing more stories like this one in the near future.

zchry @ Aug 1st 2008 7:39PM

You see, I'm 6 feet 2 inches and 191 pounds, so I'm just overweight. I'll admit it, too; I probably am.

See, "overweight" doesn't mean "fat." Once you realize that, BMI doesn't seem so flawed.

jasenj1 @ May 7th 2008 1:41PM

Lawsuit filed in 3... 2... Oh wait, Wii Fit hasn't been released in the USA, yet. Countdown suspended until then.

SoshiKitai @ May 7th 2008 1:42PM

...... I don't see what's so devastating about being called "fat".
I think "tubby" and "chubby" sound more degrading... fat, just sounds like a direct insult that fails to penetrate seriousness.

Anywho: I'm sure if Nintendo gets too many complaints from the customers, they'll replace the balance boards... or add something to it.
With this being Nintendo's AAA casual game that'll hook back all the casual players, Nintendo would NOT want to screw this up.

Stranger @ May 7th 2008 2:08PM

It's so silly to use BMI when your thumb and index finger works so much better when trying to estimate if you're fat or skinny.

Ari @ May 7th 2008 2:23PM

First of all, the girl's BMI is 18.2, and that would put her as underweight, not overweight or fat. (The BMI system does not use the term "fat.") Just google BMI calculator and you can plug in the numbers yourself. Either the Wii Fit miscalculated the girl's BMI, the girl made a mistake in entering her info, or more likely the whole thing is nonsense.

I think this whole issue highlights the problems with taking a medical term and using it such an uncritical way. Health professionals know the limitations of the BMI system and use it as only one of many tools in assessing health status. I think there are going to be a lot of complaints like this one from people who do not understand the limitations of the BMI system.

BMI is really only appropriate to use with people who are not in shape in the first place. BMI assumes that all of your weight is fat and doesn't account for muscle. So the more muscular you are, the more likely it is that the BMI won't reflect your true health status. Lets remember, though, that there are a lot more fatties in the U.S. than jacked athletes, so the BMI is useful most of the time.

Hope this helps.

vidGuy @ May 7th 2008 3:11PM

BMI and similar height-to-weight measures are so outdated and inaccurate that all they do is fool people into thinking they are healthy or devastating people by calling them overweight.

At 5'8" and 160 I'm at or pushing it into overweight, but I only have 16% body fat, run more than a dozen miles a week, and lift more than my body weight in most lifts.

The problem isn't with Wii Fit. It's with all of our shitty measures that fail to take into account all of the other factors that contribute to one's health and fitness.

Jason @ May 23rd 2008 6:22PM

Yeah, but strenuous exercise isn't healthy either. You can over do it.

hvnlysoldr @ May 7th 2008 3:34PM

I'm about 5'10 to 6' but I've never measured. I weigh 310-320 pounds. My arms and legs are rippling in muscles.

Phizzy @ May 7th 2008 3:39PM

I'm 6'2" and weigh only 20 stones, and Wii Fit called me OBESE! I'm calling a Lawyer, seeing if this calls for a class action lawsuit.

Mr Khan @ May 7th 2008 4:34PM

This whole over-reliance on BMI is bullshit anyway

The modern health-nut movement is bogus, it'll put billions in Nintendo's pocket, and that's why its bogus, its just another way corporations make you insecure to get your money

zoltari @ May 7th 2008 4:57PM

Any system that can claim you are a 'wii age' of 45 on minute, the only 29 five minutes later isn't to be taken seriously at all. I got weighed on my Wii Fit three times in a row and my weight varied by +/- 2lbs depending on how I was standing.

It's just a toy at the end of the day - I wouldn't trust it to help me get fit, but it a good laugh when your Mii turns into a bloater.

Tacoman @ May 7th 2008 7:13PM

The Wii Fit calculations are based on adults as well (which is why the base age is 20), it's not for fat kids.

Pan @ May 7th 2008 8:46PM

How much is that in hands?

Ben @ May 10th 2008 8:41PM

hah hah. all you fattys on wiifanboy.

but i love how a video game calling a girl "fat" is cause for alarm. it's not like we dont have video games where you can kill hookers and blow up cops (GTA's). honestly, the OP needs to just shut up, quit being so sensitive, and hire someone to chase both her and her daughter around the house so they both lose weight.