'Bimbo' web game for girls sparks outrage

LONDON - A web game called 'Miss Bimbo', which encourages girls as young as nine to give their virtual character plastic surgery and diet pills, has been criticised by parents and healthcare groups.

The asks players to compete to "become the most famous, beautiful, sought after bimbo across the globe!" by watching their character's weight, wardrobe, wealth and happiness.

Users are given missions such as finding their bimbo a billionaire boyfriend or organising breast implants and can keep their character's weight down with diet pills.

The site, aimed at girls aged between nine and 16, launched a month ago in the UK and has attracted more than 200,000 users.

Registration on Miss Bimbo is free, but when users run out of virtual cash they are charged £1.50 per text to top up their accounts.

Miss Bimbo was created by Nicholas Jacquart, a French entrepreneur who recently moved to Tooting, South London.

The site caused controversy when it was introduced in France, where it has attracted 1.2m players in the past year.

Parents groups and health organisations have criticised the game for sending a dangerous message to impressionable children.

Bill Hibberd, spokesman for parents' rights group Parentkind, said: "It is one thing if a child recognises it as a silly and stupid game but the danger is that a nine-year-old fails to appreciate the irony and sees the bimbo as a cool role model. Then the game becomes a hazard and a menace."

Jacquart defended the game claiming that it teaches children about the real world because players learn to take care of their bimbos.

"If they eat too much chocolate in the game, it is bad for their bimbos' bodies and their happiness levels compared to if they eat fruit and vegetables, which reinforces positive healthy eating messages."