Done-With-It!
06-26-2008, 10:05 AM
Midwest Voices: Wii Fit's focus on Body Mass Index is all wrong
By Debra Sapp-Yarwood, Midwest Voices panelist 2008
The Munchkin voice from the Wii Fit says “That’s obese.” How dare it talk to a child like that!?
Later, that same child, when he cannot complete an exercise, cries, “I’m obese and stupid!” Parental intervention now. Therapy in ten years?
I’m no fan of the Wii Fit. It’s pushy, and its exercises aren’t as fun as the ones I do on my own or in classes at the Y. Its “trainers” are robotic. But worst of all, it’s judgmental.
Players enter their height, and then the Wii weighs them to determine their Body Mass Index, or BMI. A BMI number relates only height and weight with no regard for age, sex, muscle mass or other factors.
The Wii didn’t know or care that my husband carries weight in his shoulders and chest. When his BMI registered 28.55, it chirped “that’s overweight” and then visually inflated the gut and butt of the “Mii” creature he had created to represent himself.
The “Mii” took a little jump of surprise and examined his body with dismay. It might as well have scolded, “You’re delusional!” We stared at each other flabbergasted.
Thank God it doesn’t alter children’s Mii creatures. Perhaps its creators recognize that there may be a down side to messing with people’s body images. Already people chattering on Internet blogs have complained that it may be triggering eating disorders.
One woman suggests it’s a lawsuit trying to happen. Another confesses to hiding in her bedroom to weep.
Additional mind games the Wii plays are based in questionable science and unrealistic goals. It apparently thinks all adults over a BMI of 22, should set a goal to attain that eventually, even if their BMIs are in the “healthy” range.
My BMI is a “healthy” 24.8, and both my 28.55 husband and I are supposed to become 22s.
Players must read three screens pushing for a 22 goal the first time they step on the machine’s trademark balance board. It continues with weight-loss propaganda every time a player performs a “Body Test,” even if the player has entered a weight-loss goal of “no change.” If that player gains even a little weight, then the machine grills as to why. The options should include “I don’t care; I try not to obsess about that.” Instead, whatever response the player chooses elicits “helpful” weight-loss tips.
While a BMI of 22 is associated with a diminished risk of diabetes, it is not some universal standard of uber-health. A person who lacks a family history of diabetes but has osteoporosis in the bloodline should be overjoyed with a BMI of 29 or more. One recent study established that the lowest mortality is associated with an “overweight” BMI of 27. A little extra padding helps combat body-wasting diseases. Since mortality runs in every family, should a 27 BMI be the universal standard of health?
In addition to being a questionable benchmark, the 22 BMI is unrealistic. If your genetics, gastro-intestinal chemistry and hormones don’t want you at a BMI of 22, or at least within 10 percent, then it’s unrealistic to aim for it.
Many studies show that fewer than 5 percent of dieters can maintain significant weight loss for more than 2 years. The scientists at the National Weight Control Registry, a project devoted to tracking weight-loss successes, have said that only 20 percent of the population can maintain a meager 10-percent loss for a year.
Pushing a universal BMI of 22 is, at best, an invitation to weight cycling (yo-yoing), which is associated with compromised immune function, gallstones and an increased risk of death from cardio-vascular disease, not to mention the psychological torture of dieting failure.
The Wii Fit needs to encourage people to work with doctors and other wellness experts. Goals should be more about flexibility, endurance, muscle development, blood flow and chemistry than weight. The machine should provide its games of balance, coordination, strength and aerobics to serve those goals, not its own ignorant, inflexible weight-loss goals.
Enjoy Wii Fit at your own risk.
Debra Sapp-Yarwood, after a 15-year career in nonprofit management, has started her writing career from her home in Kansas City (Platte County). To reach Midwest Voices columnists, write to the author c/o the Editorial Page, The Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. Or send e-mail to oped@kcstar.com.
By Debra Sapp-Yarwood, Midwest Voices panelist 2008
The Munchkin voice from the Wii Fit says “That’s obese.” How dare it talk to a child like that!?
Later, that same child, when he cannot complete an exercise, cries, “I’m obese and stupid!” Parental intervention now. Therapy in ten years?
I’m no fan of the Wii Fit. It’s pushy, and its exercises aren’t as fun as the ones I do on my own or in classes at the Y. Its “trainers” are robotic. But worst of all, it’s judgmental.
Players enter their height, and then the Wii weighs them to determine their Body Mass Index, or BMI. A BMI number relates only height and weight with no regard for age, sex, muscle mass or other factors.
The Wii didn’t know or care that my husband carries weight in his shoulders and chest. When his BMI registered 28.55, it chirped “that’s overweight” and then visually inflated the gut and butt of the “Mii” creature he had created to represent himself.
The “Mii” took a little jump of surprise and examined his body with dismay. It might as well have scolded, “You’re delusional!” We stared at each other flabbergasted.
Thank God it doesn’t alter children’s Mii creatures. Perhaps its creators recognize that there may be a down side to messing with people’s body images. Already people chattering on Internet blogs have complained that it may be triggering eating disorders.
One woman suggests it’s a lawsuit trying to happen. Another confesses to hiding in her bedroom to weep.
Additional mind games the Wii plays are based in questionable science and unrealistic goals. It apparently thinks all adults over a BMI of 22, should set a goal to attain that eventually, even if their BMIs are in the “healthy” range.
My BMI is a “healthy” 24.8, and both my 28.55 husband and I are supposed to become 22s.
Players must read three screens pushing for a 22 goal the first time they step on the machine’s trademark balance board. It continues with weight-loss propaganda every time a player performs a “Body Test,” even if the player has entered a weight-loss goal of “no change.” If that player gains even a little weight, then the machine grills as to why. The options should include “I don’t care; I try not to obsess about that.” Instead, whatever response the player chooses elicits “helpful” weight-loss tips.
While a BMI of 22 is associated with a diminished risk of diabetes, it is not some universal standard of uber-health. A person who lacks a family history of diabetes but has osteoporosis in the bloodline should be overjoyed with a BMI of 29 or more. One recent study established that the lowest mortality is associated with an “overweight” BMI of 27. A little extra padding helps combat body-wasting diseases. Since mortality runs in every family, should a 27 BMI be the universal standard of health?
In addition to being a questionable benchmark, the 22 BMI is unrealistic. If your genetics, gastro-intestinal chemistry and hormones don’t want you at a BMI of 22, or at least within 10 percent, then it’s unrealistic to aim for it.
Many studies show that fewer than 5 percent of dieters can maintain significant weight loss for more than 2 years. The scientists at the National Weight Control Registry, a project devoted to tracking weight-loss successes, have said that only 20 percent of the population can maintain a meager 10-percent loss for a year.
Pushing a universal BMI of 22 is, at best, an invitation to weight cycling (yo-yoing), which is associated with compromised immune function, gallstones and an increased risk of death from cardio-vascular disease, not to mention the psychological torture of dieting failure.
The Wii Fit needs to encourage people to work with doctors and other wellness experts. Goals should be more about flexibility, endurance, muscle development, blood flow and chemistry than weight. The machine should provide its games of balance, coordination, strength and aerobics to serve those goals, not its own ignorant, inflexible weight-loss goals.
Enjoy Wii Fit at your own risk.
Debra Sapp-Yarwood, after a 15-year career in nonprofit management, has started her writing career from her home in Kansas City (Platte County). To reach Midwest Voices columnists, write to the author c/o the Editorial Page, The Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. Or send e-mail to oped@kcstar.com.