Amazon pulls 'horrific' Rescue The Anorexic Girl app after outrage from campaigners

A controversial app appearing to mock sufferers of anorexia has been pulled from Amazon after it generated complaints online and eating disorder campaigners labelled it "horrific".

‘Rescue the Anorexic Girl’, marketed by SmartTouchmedia, was based on the ‘whack-a-mole’ formula and encouraged players to throw food at a cartoon girl struggling with the mental health disorder.

Previously sold on Amazon and Android platforms, the app’s promotional blurb read: “It’s your time to become a real hero with this new amusing game Rescue The Anorexia Girl!

“You know, heroes are not just superheroes, flying in the skies, throwing rocks and fighting villains with supernatural powers. Anyone can be a hero, if he is willing to help others from the bottom of his heart. Start saving the day now!”

If players miss the girl, she starts to lose weight and eventually ‘dies’.

Eating disorder charity Anorexia & Bulimia Care (ABC) condemned the app, labelling it “horrific”.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/amazon-pulls-horrific-rescue-the-anorexic-girl-app-after-outrage-from-campaigners-10165154.html

I bloody despair of humanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only good point is that people complained, what twisted brain would come up with a 'game' like that.

That's just vile.
I don't know whom is worse, the twats who designed,it, the wankwrs who endorsed it, or the creeps who downloaded and played it!

Just revolting. Completely agree with you.

Wow, what a horribly erroneous message to spread as well -- as though anorexic people just need to be fed ...

Ben_Reilly wrote:Wow, what a horribly erroneous message to spread as well -- as though anorexic people just need to be fed ...

It's ignorant and quite frankly, dangerous, to spread that kind of message!

eddie wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:Wow, what a horribly erroneous message to spread as well -- as though anorexic people just need to be fed ...

It's ignorant and quite frankly, dangerous, to spread that kind of message!

But we always have people who see a problem they don't understand and come up with oversimplified explanations or solutions. We have people who say autistic children just need to be slapped/need a "real man" in their lives; people who say those drawing welfare benefits are just lazy and don't want to work (never mind whether they can actually get work); all sorts of really easy, simple answers to problems that aren't at all easy or simple.