Posted May 06, 2008 at 11:01PM by Abraham A. Listed in: News, Games, Wii Fit Tags: Amazon, Nintendo Company Ltd., Wii Balance Board
Ó

Wii Fit box art - Image 1With news that Wii Fit, has already sold out in Amazon, there's no denying that the weight-conscious game will reach a lot of homes. That fact coupled with Nintendo's strategy to bundle it with the innovative peripheral Wii Balance Board may garner them another blockbuster-in-the-making.

However, this popularity can quickly deteriorate to notoriety if negative incidents such as this forum post from an enraged mother will keep on piling. According to a certain Mrs Hobbes, the Wii Fit's readings are inaccurate and have caused despair to her daughter:

...I was gobsmacked when it [Wii Fit] told her that she is overweight. She is a healthy 10 year old girl with an active lifestyle, she swims and dances every week. She is 92lbs and 4ft9" tall and there is not an inch of fat on her. She is solidly built but not fat. She was devastated to be called fat and we had to work hard to convince her that she isn't. I know it is just a game but seriously we already have to worry about young girls starving themselves...


However, it is unwise to jump the gun and tag this as a Wii Fit fault. Nintendo has warned its gamers not to play the game over a thick carpet as this will throw off the Balance Board's sensor, thus resulting to inaccurate readings.

Mrs. Hobbes has already sent an e-mail report to Nintendo so we hope Nintendo acts on it promptly to really get to the bottom of this issue. Updates as QJ.NET gets them.



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23 Comments


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   by Mooshywooshy - 2008-05-07
 » Yeah..

Its Wiifits fault for following the guidelines on what denotes overweight. BLAME NINTENDO FOR LIFE.

Im gonna write Nintendo a letter, you see, the other day I was playing pokemon and I had named my pikachu after myself. Well it got rock smashed and died instantly sending me into a spiraling whirlwind of depression and anxiety. I will never look at a rock the same way again, WHY, WHY GOD.


   Re: FreePlay - 2008-05-07
 » Oh, grow up.

BMI is a farking terrible indicator of body fitness. This is why she was marked as overweight.

   Re: Mooshywooshy - 2008-05-07
 » Yeah.

I think thats my point.

   Re: Silver-Tiger - 2008-05-07
 » ...

seems like FreePlay doesn't understand sarcasm.
   by JeimuzuWii - 2008-05-07
 » Hmmmm....

So....the little girl....is insecure....because A GAME told her she was overweight? If she's the sensitive about inanimate objects, I wonder what she does when actual people criticize her...

Again, I say, do not blame others for your own short-comings.

   by schmede - 2008-05-07
 » OMG

What kind of 10year old kid lets a video game insult itself?
So now it won´t eat a bite again for ever?
I think this kid is not getting a lot of love at home, when it is this insecure.

   by Tim Y. (QJ. NET Staff) - 2008-05-07
 » If I were to guess...

It looks like Wii Fit was built to read the height-to-weight ratio of people with an average build.

If what Mrs Hobbes says is true, then the game may have been reading her daughter's muscle mass as body fat, hence the inaccurate report.



   by Yoloni - 2008-05-07
 » ?

This is crazy. They probably put the Wii balance board on a carptet or something.

   by Kite - 2008-05-07
 » Lawl

We americans really are overweight (Thank god I'm not, I actually get off my damn couch).

Our Wiis should all be able to call us fat. We need a wakeup call to get off our couch.


Sucks to be that girl though, if a game calls her fat and she gets so distraught on it she needs self esteem lessons, because obviously it's not the game's fault it's that low to begin with.

   by Mister Common Sense - 2008-05-07
 » Right again!

Wow it looks like Wii fit really doesn't do much but call you fat and provide the usual pointless standing minigames.

Maybe using Wii fit really can lead to weight loss. BY SCARING LITTLE GIRLS INTO EATING DISORDERS.


   Re: FreePlay - 2008-05-07
 » Seriously.

There's absolutely no way you're going to lose weight using this thing. If you were move with the sort of intensity required for weight loss, you'd BREAK IT.
   by pnut78 - 2008-05-07
 » Overweight...yes

The mother put a spin on the information. yes, her daughter is overweight by BMI standards. That does not mean she is fat and I doubt WiiFit said as such. Body Builders are overweight in regards to BMI. Her daughter has a lot of MASS, not FAT. So her MOM should have been a good parent and educated her daughter on this. What, is she gonna go at her doctor too when her doctor tells her she is overweight? No, because he will explain that she is muscular so thats why she had alot of MASS.

   by Stewies - 2008-05-07
 » & Brian

Indeed, there's no way this will be an effective weight loss method for people and to me seems more like a Yoga type of fitness trainer. On a side note, this may be a 'planned' U.S. bashing by the Japanese saying Americans are overweight. For the matter of the distraught daughter, clearly she is way too sensitive that a CPU running software can tell her she's obese. Bad parenting Hobbes!

   by ISOHaven - 2008-05-07
 » WTF!?!?!?!?!

1. This is NOT NEWS. Abraham should be ashamed of himself. This is UNVERIFIED information from a FORUM. Check the source!!!!

2. The post itself is a bunch of BS. The Wii Fit DOES NOT IN ANY WAY state that anyone is FAT. If someone translated a BMI index into FAT then that's their own ignorance. If it took A LONG TIME to convince this girl otherwise then herself and her mother aren't very bright or knowledgeable.

@stewies, yoga equals weight loss. So if the Wii Fit teaches yoga then it does in FACT teach weight loss.


   Re: Mister Common Sense - 2008-05-07
 » .

I'm sure it probably says most people are overweight. I mean, if it says you're fit, then why use it? I swear, Nintendo thought of everything.

Women in Japan are much slimmer than in America. They probably used the same standards to call people here overweight.

"1. This is NOT NEWS. Abraham should be ashamed of himself. This is UNVERIFIED information from a FORUM. Check the source!!!!"

How would it be verified? Does a news crew need to come to their house? Sounds like a genuine parental concern to me.

"2. The post itself is a bunch of BS. The Wii Fit DOES NOT IN ANY WAY state that anyone is FAT. If someone translated a BMI index into FAT then that's their own ignorance. If it took A LONG TIME to convince this girl otherwise then herself and her mother aren't very bright or knowledgeable."

Is a 10 year old supposed to know what BMI means? The game called her "overweight," it did not state that can be inaccurate for some people.

This makes me think, if Wii Fit can't even accurately tell if someone is overweight, does it do ANYTHING? Oh yes, the mindless minigames that made the Wii so popular.

You're fat! Keep playing! LOL.

"@stewies, yoga equals weight loss. So if the Wii Fit teaches yoga then it does in FACT teach weight loss."

Brilliant deduction for someone with total ignorance. Isn't the point of Yoga stretching and being more flexible? It is not aerobic exercise, and therefore will not lead to noticable weight loss.

Once again, isoretard FAILS.

Also Nintendo FAILS at everything but making lots of money.

   Re: ISOHaven - 2008-05-07
 » WTF!?!?!?!?!

"How would it be verified? Does a news crew need to come to their house? Sounds like a genuine parental concern to me."
Wow, leave it to Mr. Nonsense to claim NEWS doesn't need to be verified. Yes you IDIOT, news reporting requires accountability.

As for you thinking this is a genuine parental concern, you only say that because it's Nintendo. Were you also chanting that Beavis and Butthead should be canceled because ONE stupid kid lit himself on fire because of what he saw on that show? I doubt it. Aside from the fact you where in diapers, you would NOT have had the same thing to say about it.

Which again, makes you a huge hypocrite.

"Is a 10 year old supposed to know what BMI means? The game called her "overweight,""
NO IT DID NOT. That is FICTION. The game does NOT ever flat out say you are overweight. It puts you in a category that you need to verify. As for what a 10 year old is suppose to know and not know...enter the mother. Of which her mother failed.

"it did not state that can be inaccurate for some people."
Yes, it does.

"Brilliant deduction for someone with total ignorance. Isn't the point of Yoga stretching and being more flexible?"
Speaking of ignorant!!!! Yes you moron, that's ONE point.

"It is not aerobic exercise, and therefore will not lead to noticable weight loss."
HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! Speaking of ignorant!!!! What a FOOL!!!!

"Once again, isoretard FAILS."
HAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

   by EVILONECRASUANT - 2008-05-07
 » run like the wind

she should go run a few laps around the block.

   by BIH - 2008-05-07
 » lol..

One misreading and everyone is starting to call it "crap".
I guess this game isnt casual enough as Mrs. Hobbes cant seem to use it, maybe she should read the manual.
I also find it slightly disturbing as shes posting a daughters height and whatnot over the net.

Wii Fit can make you loose weight with the right diet and maybe enough usage you could loose weight.

   by Nicolo S. (QJ. NET Staff) - 2008-05-07
 » :)

Wii Fit sounds like the perfect gift for your girlfriend, doesn't it?

   by jackstraw419 - 2008-05-08
 » Stupid

Story

   by SpongeFreak52 - 2008-05-18
 » Prepare to be owned.

Why would she buy her this game if she's supposedly "leading a healthy lifestyle"?

Y'know what? Screw it.

HOBBES, YOUR DAUGHTER IS FAT. Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat. Stop buying her video games and Cheetos and don't b*tch to Nintendo about it. Your daughter is FAT. Whoopie!

Go whine about it yourself and eat some celery instead of overreacting.

   by ISOHaven - 2008-05-19
 » WTF!?!?!?!?!

BUSTED!!!!!!!!!

That is such a load of crap! There is no "FAT" category.

Also, the attached article is the first time anyone has ever mentioned her data and I'm glad they did!

She's 4 foot, 9 inches tall and weighs six stone. A stone unit is 14 pounds. So she weighs 84 pounds.

Go online to ANY BMI calculator (for kids) and input this data. This is a NORMAL WEIGHT!

That mother from the UK is nothing but a LIAR!!!!!!!!!! These people are LYING just to be on the news!!!!!

If they're not lying then they did something horribly WRONG with the Wii Fit.

Try it yourself:
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx

(just make up a birthday in 1998 to make her 10 years old)

I emailed a buddy of mine who has a Wii Fit and he was able to put an 85 pound weight on it and it says HEALTHY WEIGHT!!!!

I repeat, these people are LIARS!!!!! Just like Mr. Common Douche Bag! They'll do anything to spread BS and LIES!!!

Think about it, the Wii Fit has been out for a while now. Why is this UK mother the FIRST PERSON to complain about it?


   Re: ISOHaven - 2008-05-19
 » WTF!?!?!?!?!

I tracked down the original site where that lying @@@@ of a mother posted her lies. All I posted (cleanly) was the link I posted here, the data it returns and the FACT that anyone can try this themselves....THEY DELETED IT!!!!

I wouldn't be surprised if that ENTIRE SITE was in on the lie and all for PUBLICITY!!!!

I CALL SHENANIGANS!!!!!

Original source:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t+1816313

The moderator by the name of KayleeUK should be ashamed of herself!

(in the URL above, replace the PLUS SYMBOL in the link with an EQUAL SIGN)


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