If it's crap... We'll tell you
Study: Gamers Are Fat, Depressed, and Lonely
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/study-games-are-depre...
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 study, which was carried out in the Seattle-Tacoma area, found that gamers reported "lower extraversion, consistent with research on adolescents that linked video-game playing to a sedentary lifestyle and overweight status, and to mental-health concerns."
It also indicated a curious difference between male and female gamers: the former proved more overweight and reported more Internet usage than non-gamer men, while female gamers reported more depression and lower general health than non-gamer women.
But which comes first, the games or the poor health? The researchers hypothesized that depressed individuals might be turning to games as a means of self-medication, immersing themselves in a game's world as a way of forgetting about real-life troubles.
"Habitual use of video games as a coping response may [provide] a genesis for obsessive-compulsive video-game playing, if not video-game addiction," one researcher told MSNBC. The study calls for "further research among adults to clarify how to use digital opportunities more effectively to promote health and prevent disease."
As luck would have it, a study at East Carolina University funded by Bejeweled maker Popcap Games is also investigating the possible mental health benefits of game playing. Having already discovered that Bejeweled can improve mood and heart rhythms, the Carolina group is about to embark on an investigation in an attempt to determine whether games like Bejeweled can also deliver clinically significant improvements to depression sufferers.
"The research is part of a broad array of unconventional efforts that video game companies are devising to find new markets for their products," says Shankar Vedantam, writing this week for the Washington Post. "Many of these steps are based on the idea that depression and other disorders -- as well as everyday stress and worry -- involve systematic patterns of thought and self-doubt, and that games can distract people and put them in a different mental zone."
I'm not that fat. Anyways, I find this 100% Bull-Shit.
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 study, which was carried out in the Seattle-Tacoma area, found that gamers reported "lower extraversion, consistent with research on adolescents that linked video-game playing to a sedentary lifestyle and overweight status, and to mental-health concerns."
It also indicated a curious difference between male and female gamers: the former proved more overweight and reported more Internet usage than non-gamer men, while female gamers reported more depression and lower general health than non-gamer women.
But which comes first, the games or the poor health? The researchers hypothesized that depressed individuals might be turning to games as a means of self-medication, immersing themselves in a game's world as a way of forgetting about real-life troubles.
"Habitual use of video games as a coping response may [provide] a genesis for obsessive-compulsive video-game playing, if not video-game addiction," one researcher told MSNBC. The study calls for "further research among adults to clarify how to use digital opportunities more effectively to promote health and prevent disease."
As luck would have it, a study at East Carolina University funded by Bejeweled maker Popcap Games is also investigating the possible mental health benefits of game playing. Having already discovered that Bejeweled can improve mood and heart rhythms, the Carolina group is about to embark on an investigation in an attempt to determine whether games like Bejeweled can also deliver clinically significant improvements to depression sufferers.
"The research is part of a broad array of unconventional efforts that video game companies are devising to find new markets for their products," says Shankar Vedantam, writing this week for the Washington Post. "Many of these steps are based on the idea that depression and other disorders -- as well as everyday stress and worry -- involve systematic patterns of thought and self-doubt, and that games can distract people and put them in a different mental zone."
I'm not that fat. Anyways, I find this 100% Bull-Shit.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by SpillGamerMike on -
35 - No
Fat - No, I am not skinny, but not fat either, just average.
Depressed - No
Lonely- HELL NO!
Angry - Yes, because I hate people try to tear down Gamers!
-
Permalink Reply by Bobby Bobson on -
Correlation does not equal causation. you can find plenty of fat, depressed, and lonely people everywhere lol
-
Permalink Reply by Ms. B™ on -
Hmm, that got me thinking, maybe being obese, depressed, and at 35, alone, leads these supposed people to play video games. Instead of playing games leading to that.
-
Permalink Reply by AcE! on -
I've always wondered about this myself.
Maybe people that are actually insane and/or depressed enough to shoot up their school are more attracted to games like Doom than they are Uno and Super Mario 64.
-
Permalink Reply by Timmy Cupcakes on -
This news saddens me, I'm gonna drown my sorrows in a gallon of ice cream, wile I sit and play WoW in my studio apartment.
-
Permalink Reply by crawlspacesRcreepy on -
I never trust studies any more. Aside from that, gaming has become a very social thing, at least among my social group. People rarely play alone and we could all spend a whole day hanging out and having a good time. Are some of us fat? A little yeah. Depressed? Could be. But its not the video games that do that, its LIFE. Are they gonna recomend we quit living to trim down and get happy?
-
Permalink Reply by ProtoEva00 on -
Let's see, the most likely people to over indulge in video games, are nerds, and sitting at a computer as a hobby can lead to obesity. Surprise, surprise.
-
Permalink Reply by Deca on -
I lift weights 4-6 times a week, I eat very clean and am happily married. Video games actually are what help keep me on track. If I'm not eating then I'm usually playing a game. Independent studies can be very spot on when dealing with science, not hunches.
-
Permalink Reply by Austin II on -
Oh YEAH, well I'm pretty fat, but certainly not depressed or lonely. Who conducts surveys like that anyway?
-
Permalink Reply by LunaticLMD on -
Tools?
Follow Spill on Twitter!
Latest Activity
This group is for anyone who has info on where to find free screenings in your area, that way if a movie is some ol bulls**t, at least you won't get f**k over, well not as much anyway
Music
© 2009 Created by The Spill Crew
