Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Gamers Are Fitter (and Sadder) Than You Think

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the crying-on-a-treadmill dept.

missb writes "According to NewScientist.com, online gamers are no 'couch potatoes'. US researchers quizzed players of the role-playing game EverQuest II, and found adult gamers to be in better physical condition than the average American. The downside, however, was the gamers reported more cases of depression and substance abuse than their compatriots."

2 of 341 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Erm... by garcia · · Score: 4, Informative

    They're not in better shape, they've just starving a bit more than the average US citizen.

    When I considered myself a "gamer" (Q1CTF) I was a Division I athlete attending a state university with ready access to tons of junk food and recreational enhancements that I readily consumed in greater amounts than I could even again. But because I was in college, and working out twice a day 5.5x a week, I was in great shape. I have a feeling that while the age range for those that consider themselves "gamers" is widening, the majority of people are still HS and college aged kids who have a bit more of an active lifestyle than the rest of us that work in some boring office tower all day and then retire home for an evening of various PC or console games.

  2. Re:Erm... by gad_zuki! · · Score: 5, Informative

    Its not "foolish" its a fact. Perhaps you should google before calling people foolish, eh?

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040105071229.htm

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5576/obesity_and_poverty_the_poorest_of.html

    http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/correlation-between-obesity-and-poverty-health-people-2010-should-increase-attention-those-poverty-14046.html

    http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/469027

    http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/2/0/6/1/p20614_index.html