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Parenting

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Original poster

DD v.upset by profile on Wii-Fit

69 replies

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 08/01/2009 12:53

I just wondered whether anyone else has come across this problem? DD (10) had a Wii-Fit for Christmas, and when she set up her profile it said she was 'in danger of being overweight'.

Her reaction has been extreme - she has been crying, sworn us to secrecy that we must not tell anyone, passworded her profile. More worrying though, she now insists she is fat, needs to lose weight, wants cucumber for breakfast etc.

We have tried reasoning with her, explaining that its only a machine, can't see her etc. She is beautiful and gorgeous and I thought she believed us when we told her that, but this has rocked her world.

Any tips, please?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

AnarchyAunt · 08/01/2009 13:22

Fair enough, I wasn't trying to say that you personally don't do other things with your DC. Just that IMO a WiiFit is designed to raise awareness of body shape/size, and fitness and that I don't think its very helpful for children.

Personally I do not even have scales in the house as I prefer to use a common sense approach to the whole thing and teach DD to see the big picture about health rather than focus on weight (for example).

Aitch · 08/01/2009 13:23

of course a child is in danger of becoming overweight... the machine is reading that height as a fixed figure. which is not the case.

AnarchyAunt · 08/01/2009 13:24

I have to say that the presence of any further electronic stuff in a home is really not likely to make the inhabitants more active or more healthy.

Its a bit of a red herring surely?

Interested in this thread?

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General parenting

cornishpasty · 08/01/2009 13:25

Sorry to hijack this thread but can you password protect your profile on Wii fit? I would like to get one but i'd be horrified if anyone saw my weight or BMI as i'm so overweight. I want all this info top secret to me only - is this possible?

Tamarto · 08/01/2009 13:25

yes

sb6699 · 08/01/2009 13:30

Wii Fit told my 4 yo she is obese which she definately is not.

You should try to explain to her about it not being useful to children (possibly show her the link or even this thread).

wannaBe · 08/01/2009 13:31

agree with anarchy.

also, the wii is slightly better in that it encourages children to be more active while they are playing it, as opposed to the ds/xbox/ps3 etc which you essentially sit glued to for the duration. However people that say that a wii is a way of encouraging children to be active are just kidding themselves.

It's a bit of fun and should only ever be viewed as such imo.

And we love board games when it's raining.

Paperchase · 08/01/2009 13:34

I think it's in the Wii's best interests to tell you you're overweight so you use it more. And then it needs bits mending/you buy new games etc.

Pretty bastardy to be telling children they're overweight, though.

blondie80 · 08/01/2009 13:34

morning paper, what is the for????

RedOnHerHead · 08/01/2009 13:37

When did you buy the wii fit? I'm asking this, because we bought one only 2 weeks before xmas and my DS saw me hula hooping on it and asked to do it too (he's 4 - I see no problem with this) so he went on there and wanted a mii of himself (for those of you who don't have one, a mii is the little cartoon version of yourself) anyway, his age and height went in and his bmi showed in the normal range - it did say, immediately afterwards though, you are still young and growing and should focus on having fun. I thought it was very good tbh, but maybe they have fixed this problem and I had a newer one (possibly).

BTW, my DS managed 5 circles of the hula hoop - bless him!

Original poster

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 08/01/2009 13:37

Thanks for everyone's support - there is loads of useful information here, some of which I can share with DD to reassure her.

Wish i had been a bit more circumspect before we bought the thing!

(and Anarchy - i did not feel 'got at', just wanted to respond!)

OP posts:

Original poster

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 08/01/2009 13:44

Red On - ours said the bit about not paying too much attention as well, but it was too late. I think it is probably the same version.

OP posts:

RedOnHerHead · 08/01/2009 14:02

Its not nice for anyone to be told they are overweight, but to tell a child that (and i think more so for girls) then its going to be upsetting. There should be a setting on there for parents so that the wii doesn't show the child, but will allow the parents to have access to it. That way, the parents get to monitor their child's weight/bmi/whatever, without the child getting upset if they really are overweight.

I've always been of the opinion that if your child shows signs of becomming overweight, or is overweight, then that child should never know that he/she is on a "diet" (I hate that word) The parents should prepare healthy foods for the child and encourage exercise, without the child being told it iyswim. As soon as you tell a child they are on a diet, or they need to watch what they are eating, then I think thats where problems start. I also believe that children shouldn't see their parents calorie counting too. All it does is (in my opinion)put more emphasis on problem eating.

LSITD, i do hope that your daughter realises that she is healthy, and doesn't dwell on it too much.

whitenoise · 08/01/2009 14:05

it says in the instructions that the bmi is unreliable for children

cornflakegirl · 08/01/2009 14:42

I don't think that the BMI calculation on the Wii Fit is wrong for children. It thought that my 3yo should have a BMI of around 17 iirc, which seems to tally with the NHS website linked earlier. I think it's more that BMI isn't an especially useful indicator for children.

Why not encourage children to just do the balance and exercise stuff, and ignore the body test?

LIZS · 08/01/2009 14:48

dd is really skinny ie below the underweight section and her Mii reflects that. I think it is somewhat that they can't adjust the calculation for kids. Presumably it means the fitness age isn't really applicable either.

jesusofutopia · 08/01/2009 14:48

My friend's said I was over-weight, doctor says I'm underweight

cornflakegirl · 08/01/2009 15:21

Lizs - BMI is a defined measure - weight divided by height squared - so it can't really be adjusted for children. What they do adjust is what the target BMI is - 22 for adults, but lower (I think on a sliding scale) for children.

The fitness age is pretty stupid for kids though. DS got one of around 20, because he's not very good at standing on one leg!

If anyone gets a dodgy BMI, it suggests either the scales in the board aren't working properly, or the height is entered wrong. It's pretty tricky to get the actual calculation wrong - it's just arithmetic. It tells you the weight (if you go into that bit) so you can check the calculation yourself...

Original poster

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 08/01/2009 20:49

Just popped back to say have managed to have a sensible conversation with DS, supported by the information I got from everyone today, so many thanks. DS is feeling much more reassured that it is intended for adults.

OP posts:

kslatts · 09/01/2009 00:30

We are thinking of buying a wii fit and I'm glad I read this thread first. I think we will still get one (mainly for dh and I), but will let the dd's play on it. Do you need to enter your height and weight to be ale to play?

BouncingTurtle · 09/01/2009 07:40

I don't think so Kslatts.

We've got one and DSS(7) has a go on it, he has done the body test once or twice, but to be honest we think it is pointless for him so he just does some of the exercises - he determined to beat my score on the Ski Jump

Thing is these days kids will have games consoles. I would much rather my kids have a Wii which is very much a family/group activity that does involve a lot of body movement (Wii boxing anyone ) that an XBox or Playstation which involves just sitting in front of a screen on their own exercising their thumb and fore finger, shooting things up!

We do need to encourage our kids to get out more though. DSS has a big garden at his mums to run around in, at ours he has a bike he is learning to ride, plus a park up the road we all walk up to.

I do feel sad that kids these days don't seem to have the freedom that I had when I was a kid when all the mums used to chuck the kids out in all weathers and we'd play all sorts of active games out the front (I was lucky enough to live on a mostly pedestrianised housing estate with lots of play equipment in each of the playgounds between rows of houses). But it is a very different world now to what it was like 25-35 years ago.

ninedragons · 09/01/2009 07:52

Is the software configured for Caucasians, do you think?

My scans (DD born in Shanghai) all pointed to a (quote) "huge" baby of........... 7lb.

I assume the charts they were using were for East Asian babies whereas my husband and I are sturdy Celts, for whom 7lb is smack on average.

Nintendo could be doing the same thing if they've used Japanese stats.

moondog · 09/01/2009 07:56

Wii 'Fit' my arse.

NotQuiteCockney · 09/01/2009 09:56

Because BMI takes height into consideration, I don't think it needs to be adjusted for ethnicity, iyswim. Certainly, the adult target BMI values are the same ones you'll find anywhere (e.g. 20 to 25 is healthy, 25 to 30 overweight, 30+ is obese)

It does seem to think everyone should aim for a BMI of 22.0, which seems a tiny bit ... well ... fascist of it.

RubyRioja · 09/01/2009 10:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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