Medical Study Links Games To Obesity

[Alpha]

Swiss researchers find a "strong association" between playing games and childhood weight gain.

 

Anti-game activists got more ammo yesterday, thanks to a Swiss study that partially blamed video games for childhood obesity. In a press release, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University Hospital Zurich announced the findings of a joint study, which will be published in next month's scintillating issue of Obesity Research.

 

The study surveyed 872 children in first, second, and third grades in 10 schools in northeastern Switzerland. It measured several factors, including age, sex, nationality, number of siblings, smoking status of parents, television programs regularly watched, breakfast consumption, watching television during meals, snacking while watching television, and the amount of time subjects played electronic games.

 

Despite the numerous factors involved, researchers said that "obesity was independently associated with the time spent playing electronic games and the time spent watching television." However, the researchers' release gave no specific evidence as to why games made kids more likely to be obese other than that they were "inversely associated with physical activity."

 

Interestingly, the study also found that foreign children living in Switzerland, where the per capita chocolate consumption is 21 pounds per year (twice the US average), were "twice as likely to be obese than Swiss children." The study attributed Swiss children's relative slimness to cultural differences but did not mention yodeling, clog dancing, or alpine sports specifically.

 

By Tor Thorsen -- GameSpot

POSTED: 07/01/04 03:57 PM PST

I'm playing Basketball about 2-4 times a week, it's all about the desire of what you think is best. I can't stay on the computer for more than a hour or two at once since I will get a headache now. Excercise is what keeps the chemicals in my body balanced.

[Gryph]

Well this was a no-brainer. Video games have produced a generation of slothy children who guzzle down Yoohoo while eating a bag of Cheetos. I have made sure I have steered away from that path.

[Wizard]

At least I ain't in a dark room, listening to repeative music and eating up pellets.

[Captain FuKu]

It's genetics more than anything. I play games, and I can't gain for crap. Then again, I haven't had time for anything recently except school, homework, sleep, repeat... yeah, that's healthy lifestyle for ya. LOL

[random guy]

Well knock me down with a broomstick - who would have thought that spending lots of time sitting down in front of a screen (and therefore not exercising) would lead to obesity? Not that I can talk - I don't exercise and I'm as skinny as a rake!

[Inky]

this is stating the obvious. heheh like a study saying "water drinking increases peeing in elderly women" no crap.