Gaming makes you fat,sad and anti-social?

[Bill]

The average gamer is 35, overweight, and more likely to be depressed, says a new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Report (http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/study-games-are-depressing-or-are-they-/1346074)

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Correlation does not equal causation (which the article points out btw). Most fat, depressed gamers I've known are fat, depressed people even when they don't have access to video games.

[Elwell]

In related news, a new study reports that water is indeed wet.

[Bill]

Are you being ironic? :)

[VulgarDragon]

I agree with it somewhat. When World of Warcraft hit the shelf, I was playing it every night for months with my friends. I didn't get enough sleep, grew a little fat, and was sick a lot...and my family life suffered as well. Anyway, I stopped playing it so often, started to get exercise and spend time with family....and things got better. I feel sorry for the chronic gamers who are hooked on it and can't stop playing.

[Elwell]

Are you being ironic? :)

50/50

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Ironically I'm less fat, unhealthy, and anti-social when I play games... too distracted to eat/smoke, and have more opportunities to be social even if it's not face to face. >_>

I quit playing MMORPG's in...2007 I think, and haven't had a tv in months so no xbox. Lack of games didn't make for any significant improvements in my own life considering work schedule (which had me working during all the key social times), and having moved away from all of my friends. *shrug* I won't argue with the fact that games do enable people to withdraw in an uhealthy manner, but people are perfectly capable of doing that with all manner of things.

[Dorkthrone]

I'm thinking that many gamers who are fat, sad, and anti-social aren't because of that just because of video games. Granted, being holed up in a room playing video games all day doesn't exactly help.

[Portus]

Playing Super Mario 3 makes me happy ;)

[Ian Barker]

I find Age 35 as an average a bit hard to believe...

[Kamikazebob]

I find Age 35 as an average a bit hard to believe...

they're only 35 in age. mentally they are 16. At least that's what I think, judging by all the crap I hear over a mic.

[OmenSpirits]

In related news, a new study reports that water is indeed wet.
LIAR!

[gamerboi]

Video games is to generalized. And some games, studies show actually help develop social skills (Halo, Call of Duty etc). MMOs tend to have the opposite effect though.

[ArtZealot]

I know plenty of people who have never touched a game in their life, and have seen more who probably have never touched a game who are ungodly fat. Too much of any one thing is bad, and i dont think gaming will make you shed the pounds, but i dont think for the most part that the games are the cause, i think they are the effect.

On a completely unrelated topic, i heard that a 35 year old depressed painter recently lost 130lbs by sitting in his house doing nothing but painting. Wait a sec... is that how the story goes?

[JailHouseRock2]

May I just say that I hate categorizing people as gamers. I know a whole heap of people who play and love games, none of them are fat or depressed. But I do know of suicidal chunks of lard that don't even know what a xbox is.

But it depends who you know....

[Meloncov]

No, being fat, sad, and anti-social makes you a gamer.

Of course, that's an oversimplification too, but closer to the truth.

[Fallout]

Not this crap again. I mean, haven't we had this shit before? Along with "it makes you a terrorist" and "you'll become dumber at school". More generalization for the win.

[janni]

ah i hate statistics...

on another note: these days the average human being is probably 35, overweight, and quite likely to be depressed.

[tobbA]

I think it has to do with all the sitting still. Most gamers don't move from their couch, and they also drink a lot of coke just to have the energy to do so.

I'm not saying all gamers do this. I don't. But I think a lot do. And I also think it's their own fault. Not the games.

[Ian Barker]

If games didn't exist, they'd find something else to sit around and do, they'd still eat unhealthy foods, and they still would struggle socially. As people have been saying, games are the effect and not the cause.

[Farvus]

No, being fat, sad, and anti-social makes you a gamer.

Of course, that's an oversimplification too, but closer to the truth.

:up:
This.

[Kan Muftić]

Sure they make you fat and depressed!
We all sit down in the meetings discussing how we can make people fat, lonely and sad.

[cdejong]

Sure they make you fat and depressed!
We all sit down in the meetings discussing how we can make people fat, lonely and sad.

Yes, I want to become a concept artist so that I can make people fat and depressed too!

Life goal right there.

:D

[matunechka]

I'm fully against computer games, because the make person addict, depressed, aggressive and stupid. They are harmful in particular for children.:ilaekae:

[Farvus]

And I'm against cars because they make people die in accidents.

[N D Hill]

I'm fully against Fox news, because the make person addict, depressed, aggressive and stupid. They are harmful in particular for children.:ilaekae:

fixed

[Hyskoa]

Are you being ironic? :)

Let's put it to a study.

[PsiBug]

some games, studies show actually help develop social skills (Halo, Call of Duty etc).

HAHA! Yes that's why "Halo freak out" gets you so few results on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVwIGti0m28

[LORD M]

I haven't played video game in ages, I gave that up and spend the same time drawing instead, and feel a lot happier nowadays. Oh and I'm not fat.

[Harkins]

I think it has to do with all the sitting still. Most gamers don't move from their couch, and they also drink a lot of coke just to have the energy to do so.

I'm not saying all gamers do this. I don't. But I think a lot do. And I also think it's their own fault. Not the games.

MOUNTAIN DEW.