Woman Dies for a Wii

Gareth · 14-01-2007, 20:49

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6261509.stm

Quote:

A Californian woman who took part in a water-drinking contest to win a video game system has died of water intoxication, tests have shown.

Jennifer Strange had taken part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" game run by KDND 107.9 radio in Sacramento, which promised the winner a Nintendo Wii.
...
Local assistant coroner Ed Smith said initial tests showed death was "consistent with water intoxication".

Contestants were first given eight ounce (225 millilitre) bottles to drink every 15 minutes.

Contestant James Ybarra told Associated Press news agency: "They told us if you don't feel like you can do this, don't put your health at risk."

Mr Ybarra said he quit after five bottles but remaining contestants started on larger bottles.

"She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for her kids," Mr Ybarra said.

jellybaby · 14-01-2007, 21:04

That is shocking !!!

Makes you wonder whether the radio station in question should be held responsible. They should have done some research in to the limits of water a human body can take.

Hom3r · 14-01-2007, 21:12

This has happened before, in that I mean people drinking to much water, and the suger/salt levels in the body drop to very low levels.

Last year I was in Belguim hotel and it was 40 degress, reading a paper (times I think) a British Dr said that in very hot weather when you are drinkg a lot of water, you should and a pinch of suger and salt to keep the levels from dropping.

Delta Whiskey · 14-01-2007, 21:42

I think everyone involved will be getting their collective butts sued off, and rightly so. Stupid, stupid, stupid. So very sad for the womans' family.

DW

Halcyon · 15-01-2007, 14:34

A sad thing to happen...especially as she was doing it for her kids.
The radio station should have really done research into the implications of drinking too much water before going ahead and deserved to be blamed IMO.

TheDaddy · 15-01-2007, 15:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halcyon

A sad thing to happen...especially as she was doing it for her kids.

It would have been better if the other contestant had kept his mouth shut imo, it's bad enough that this lady died in such a tragic, wasteful way without him adding to her children's grief by telling the world that she did it for them, that's not going to make them feel any better, is it?

Virgin Mary · 15-01-2007, 15:05

What is a reasonable amount of water to drink per day? is there a rule relating to your weight?

TheDaddy · 15-01-2007, 15:09

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00283.html

15-01-2007, 15:17

Very tragic, but I did have to laugh at the title of the thread, given the way she went.

**Russ B** · 15-01-2007, 15:18

Sadly the pressures of modern radio means that presenters feel pressurised to come up with more 'inventive' ways of getting people involved in competitions, and occasionally (such as this) with tragic consequences.

orangebird · 15-01-2007, 15:24

Even with examples like that, people wonder why kids are commonly more and more obese. Not only do parents fill their stomachs with ****e, they're now risking their lives to win them games consoles so they can sit on their fat arses all day and 'game' themselves into an early grave. FFS, buy your kids a bike and give them half a chance at a good healthy start in life.

Damien · 15-01-2007, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangebird

Even with examples like that, people wonder why kids are commonly more and more obese. Not only do parents fill their stomachs with ****e, they're now risking their lives to win them games consoles so they can sit on their fat arses all day and 'game' themselves into an early grave. FFS, buy your kids a bike and give them half a chance at a good healthy start in life.

Harsh. We do not know what her kids are like or what kind of parent she was. I guess we can tell she cared a lot about them to do this stunt though. Not all parents are the same and not all kids who play games are obese.

orangebird · 15-01-2007, 15:56

I suppose I'm going fairly OT now but...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damien

Harsh.

Indeed. But I don't think it's entirely untrue either,

Quote:

We do not know what her kids are like or what kind of parent she was. I guess we can tell she cared a lot about them to do this stunt though.

By entering a competition to win them a console? Yeah, that shows real big love there.

Quote:

Not all parents are the same and not all kids who play games are obese.

No, but a fair few are - and that's too many. I have great issues with what I've seen, the way people feed their children and/or plonk them down in front of the telly/computer/xbox/ps whatever, or even to simply allow them to spend the amount of time they do. It's tantamount to child abuse.

Damien · 15-01-2007, 16:09

Ok, but thats not really the issue. We cant pass judgement on her parenting because of this. She properly just wanted to make her kids happy by getting them a Wii. She could have been a great parent.

I have played game since i was little and I am not fat, and I am healthy. I get what your saying but we cant make that judement based on the fact she wanted to win them a Wii (which can be quite active)

orangebird · 15-01-2007, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damien

Ok, but thats not really the issue. We cant pass judgement on her parenting because of this. She properly just wanted to make her kids happy by getting them a Wii. She could have been a great parent.

I have played game since i was little and I am not fat, and I am healthy. I get what your saying but we cant make that judement based on the fact she wanted to win them a Wii (which can be quite active)

Wii is as active and a McD's salad with dressing is healthy.