Expert Says Children Should Be Banned From Wii Fit (kotaku.com)

[7th lutz]

http://kotaku.com/5009320/expert-says-children-should-be-banned-from-wii-fit

Remember the little girl that Wii Fit called fat? Sure you do! Now, at least one expert is calling Nintendo out on using BMI to judge whether younger players are overweight or not. Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum is even calling for kiddos to be banned from Wii Fit. According to Fry:

I'm absolutely aghast that children are being told they are fat... 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.

[Oobgarm]

If anyone is going to use this as an accurate BMI indicator, they should be hit over the head with their own shoe.

[UK Collector]

BMI is essentially useless. Yes, Wii Fit can measure it accurately because it is merely a weight/height ratio, but it is flawed. For a example, a bodybuilder with large amounts of muscle and almost no fat can be seen to be overweight on a BMI. It is such a simplistic tool that it shouldn't really be used at all.

[exit]

The fact that someone may actually take a video game fitness machine seriously is sad and I doubt that most kids will even want to play Wii Fit, I'm sure they'd much rather be playing Mario.

[LucidDefender]

BMI is essentially useless. Yes, Wii Fit can measure it accurately because it is merely a weight/height ratio, but it is flawed. For a example, a bodybuilder with large amounts of muscle and almost no fat can be seen to be overweight on a BMI. It is such a simplistic tool that it shouldn't really be used at all.

BMI is VERY useful. Most people are sedentary nowadays, and BMI is an effective tool for most people out there. There are some people, like you mentioned, like bodybuilders, that don't fit into the BMI system; however, they're the minority.

People like to harp on BMI because it says they're fat. and of course. no one wants to hear that.

[secretvampire]

People like to harp on BMI because it says they're fat. and of course. no one wants to hear that.
Hah, no kidding. Maybe it's a good thing the machine will tell them what noone else has the bravery to. :)

[diskoboy]

People that try and tell you what is and is not good for you, shouldn't be allowed to live.

[FABombjoy]

People that try and tell you what is and is not good for you, shouldn't be allowed to live.
Would you like to start with the doctors or the nutritionists?

Myself, I'll choose the naturopaths. Damn hippy docs!

[bb_hood]

Fat kids need to be told that they are fat and then whipped into shape.

[Ponyone]

The fact that someone may actually take a video game fitness machine seriously is sad and I doubt that most kids will even want to play Wii Fit, I'm sure they'd much rather be playing Mario.

Or eating fast food.

[mailman187666]

I'm basically going to be using wii fit for a reason to get off my ass and try and stay in shape and to see how my weight changes over time while I'm use the thing. I'm going to treat it as seriously as I do hiking, boating, or whatever else I do for excercise, I'm going to treat it as fun. It can say you are fat on the machine but obviously if you are a bodybuilder or have a lot of muscle mass, you can tell by looking in the damn mirror that the majority of your weight isn't fat. Basically, when it comes down to it, its to help get rid of our bitch tits lol

[Gentlegamer]

Does the balance board have a speaker on it like the Wiimote?

*Gentlegamer steps on balance board*

"One user at a time, please!"

[Lady Jaye]

I personally couldn't care less about Wii Fit. DDR interests me more as videogame-meets-exercise game...

[MegaDrive20XX]

And now for some math for the hell of it...

The child in question related to this article is 6 stones in weight, what is her real weight in US Metric?

Answer: the girl is 112 lbs (6 stones= 38.10 kg= roughly 112lbs. in US Metric)

Hey, whatcha get for number 23 on the test? God I hate Math...

[Lady Jaye]

So what? Even if she were a fat kid, if she's active, then she's healthy. I was a relatively fat kid but I was also quite active. And I was into playing videogames. Being fat does not automatically equal being unhealthy.

[MegaDrive20XX]

So what? Even if she were a fat kid, if she's active, then she's healthy. I was a relatively fat kid but I was also quite active. And I was into playing videogames. Being fat does not automatically equal being unhealthy.

I'm saying the kid is NOT fat. The Wii fit made an error is what I was pointing out.

[Rob2600]

Being fat does not automatically equal being unhealthy.

How so?

[DKTheArcadeRat]

Nah. but 9 times outta ten.... It does.

[unwinddesign]

People that try and tell you what is and is not good for you, shouldn't be allowed to live.

...right.

[incubus421]

I believe this topic could be heading towards dark places soon...

I think Wii Fit will be great, I want to believe that it will motivate so many people out there and really help out todays society in a lot of ways. For once, I think nintendos heart might actually be in the right place...haha

[Rob2600]

I think Wii Fit will be great

I agree. I think it will be a great supplement to my gym routine.

[Poofta!]

listen, fat kids are fat. they know this. get off the couch, eat better and be healthy. i hope all these round lil bastards get wii fit, i think its a great idea.

[heybtbm]

Fat kids need to be told that they are fat and then whipped into shape.

Agreed, except I think the parents should be "told" as well. Get those fatties moving!

[heybtbm]

I agree. I think it will be a great supplement to my gym routine.

LOL

"Gym routine"...indeed. You've never been to Fark.com have you?

[ProgrammingAce]

BMI was designed to study a group of people, not a single person. Obviously there will be outliers in a group, so it averages out so you can study the obesity of a group of people.

[Viraneth]

I think it's a good "suppliment" to normal exercise, with balance, yoga, and other programs that will help with more endurance and warm up.


Also, lay off the twinkies and ho-hos and ride a muthafuckin' bike!

[Chuplayer]

How so? (fat and healthy)

It's kind of a gray area, but some people can pull it off. Ever see Samoa Joe in TNA Wrestling? He's chubby yet he can do acrobatic things cruiserweights can't do.

[Fuzzball24]

How so?

Because being fat can rely on medical conditions and genetics too. My ex-girlfriend ate better than me, never ate fast food and exercised. Her mom was really "large" to put it nicely, so she turned out a bit on the chubby side (not too bad, but still). Being fat sometimes can just be a thing people can't help.

On the other hand, are people actually taking this seriously? I would never get that upset over a video game!

[unwinddesign]

Because being fat can rely on medical conditions and genetics too. My ex-girlfriend ate better than me, never ate fast food and exercised. Her mom was really "large" to put it nicely, so she turned out a bit on the chubby side (not too bad, but still). Being fat sometimes can just be a thing people can't help.

On the other hand, are people actually taking this seriously? I would never get that upset over a video game!


Just because you never eat fast food doesn't mean you eat healthy. If you have 20 apples in a day or 2 Big Macs in a day, obviously the Big Macs are better for you in the long run. What many obese people fail to realize is that eating "better" foods isn't the answer. Eating less food and "better" foods is. Simply replacing 3,000 calories of McD's with 3,000 calories of vegetables and turkey won't do you much good.

Obviously this might not have been the case with your girlfriend, it's just something I've noticed a lot of overweight people doing. I'm surprised that more weight loss specialists don't simply suggest to eat less. That's the crux of the problem a lot of the time.

[WiseSalesman]

ITT: People who have been skinny all their lives acting like they know all there is to know about fitness.

Further entertainment at 11.

[Carey85]

I'm waiting for Wii Fit to tell me "Ow, Get the FUCK off of me, you walrus lookin' piece of shit!"

[Rob2600]

LOL

"Gym routine"...indeed. You've never been to Fark.com have you?

No, why? What inside joke have I missed out on?


Just because you never eat fast food doesn't mean you eat healthy. ... Simply replacing 3,000 calories of McD's with 3,000 calories of vegetables and turkey won't do you much good.

You're right, but it isn't only about reducing calories. It's also about avoiding refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, hydrogenated oils/trans fatty acids, and alcohol.

That means eating only 100% whole grains (no white bread), healthy snacks (fresh raw nuts and vegetables, no candy, ice cream, or French fries), no drinking, and keeping track of calories, carbohydrates, and protein. Also, have a regular, varied exercise routine and make sure to get enough sleep every night.

[jcalder8]

BMI was designed to study a group of people, not a single person. Obviously there will be outliers in a group, so it averages out so you can study the obesity of a group of people.
I'm glad someone else posted this before I had to.

[Viraneth]

Also, stay away from processed foods, which means no kraft products at all. No bologna, no processed cheeses like america and ceddar, and drinkig one glass of milk with meals instead of water, as milk acts as an appetite quencer, not to mention, milk is delicious and comes in some tasty ass flavours.

And plus, if you drik yoohoo (which is flavored milk, with just a little caffeine and some vitamins in it), you don't need caffinated soda.

[XYXZYZ]

I'm willing to bet the majority of everyone who buys WiiFit will play it for a couple days, maybe a week, and never touch it again.

You know, like.... all the other Wii games...:|

[Rob2600]

Also, stay away from processed foods, which means no kraft products at all. No bologna, no processed cheeses like america and ceddar, and drinkig one glass of milk with meals instead of water, as milk acts as an appetite quencer, not to mention, milk is delicious and comes in some tasty ass flavours.

And plus, if you drik yoohoo (which is flavored milk, with just a little caffeine and some vitamins in it), you don't need caffinated soda.

Yes, processed foods contain refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, and hydrogenated oils. If you want to be healthy, avoid them at all costs. Stick to 100% whole grains (no enriched or bleached flour), unrefined sugars (no white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, cane juice, or artificial sweeteners), and natural oils.

I'd stay away from cow milk, fruit juice, soda, and alcohol and stick to water and unsweetened WestSoy or Silk soy milk.


I'm willing to bet the majority of everyone who buys WiiFit will play it for a couple days, maybe a week, and never touch it again.

That's just like the majority of people who join a gym or buy home exercise equipment. :)

[MachineGex]

I am hoping my Wii tells me "I'm big boned" so I can feel better about my weight.
As for the article, how about we all make our own decisions on what to buy our kids.

[mnbren05]

If an "expert" told you to stick your weiner into an eletrical outlet would you do it?

[jcalder8]

If an "expert" told you to stick your weiner into an eletrical outlet would you do it?
Why would an "expert" tell you to do that?

[unwinddesign]

ITT: People who have been skinny all their lives acting like they know all there is to know about fitness.

Further entertainment at 11.

Well obviously we're doing something right, since, you know, we're not fat.

...but what the hell do I know?

[Garry Silljo]

If an "expert" told you to stick your weiner into an eletrical outlet would you do it?

That depends, what are they an expert on?

[Poofta!]

ITT: People who have been skinny all their lives acting like they know all there is to know about fitness.

Further entertainment at 11.

i weighed 270 lbs when i was 21 and dropped to 180 in a little under a year (im 6 ft tall and big build). how? eating right and exercising. fat people disgust me, even when i was fat, and even more so now. in this day and age there is no excuse for it, other than:
laziness
bad parenting
apathy
actual, honest to god disorder/imbalance

all but one of the above (guess which...) is not permanent and if the person doesnt do anything about it... well ridicule is natural.

[DeputyMoniker]

Wii Mirror says I'm ugly.

[josekortez]

If anyone is going to use this as an accurate BMI indicator, they should be hit over the head with their own shoe.

Pure hilarity.