Science Says Gamers are Fat, Depressed Losers

[Syndef]

This is one subjective-as-hell test. You can't rely on people to give accurate information regarding themselves. It's better to call this "study" an elaborate Poll.

 

[Hugo Artenis Rune]

I wonder how many fat and depressed people DONT play games. I think that if you take 10,000 people from every walk of life and see if they're fat and depressed and THEN see who're the gamers I reckon you'd end up with the result of..

Some fat and depressed people play games. Some skinny and depressed people play games. Some fat and happy people play games. Some skinny and happy people play games. Some people just play games OK? Some people are fat ok? Some people are depressed OK?

Anyway - it's easier to become fat when you're gaming 17 hours a day.. Of course, you're probably a bit depressed and trying to escape from life if you DO play games for 17 hours a day. But that's nothing to do with games! On the other hand - if you playing a game because it's fucking amazing for 17 hours a day then you're likely to be having a bloody good time.

Scientific research is awesome - even the stupid surveys. But you do need to take into account what they DIDN'T survey in order to get a picture.

It pisses me off reading stories like this. It strikes me very much like the adverts on TV saying "This product was voted best Something of 2009* - *81 people surveyed".

Anwyay I would bet $100,000 that the people in the survey responded to an advert in the newspaper that said "Overweight and unhappy? Love games? Please take part in our survey" or some shite like that. It reminds me of the study that "proved" that mobile phones made men sterile. Later on it came out that all of the men in the study were already sterile, from birth, and only took part in the study becuase the advert in the newspaper specifically asked for sterile men to take part. So it was all nonsense. A bit like this news story

Here's a scientific study to you - "All tabloid journalists are wankers - psyence sez so!"

*edit - for the record, I'm skinny (very) and happy. And yes, I play games. Oh shit*

 

[101194]

Well, I am sorta depressed, But not that bad.

 

[Summarum]

It is kinda interesting how probably almost all gamers here react to this study claiming that they all are healthy and not depressed. Now when the gamers read other studies about other things they probably are going to agree with the studies. Now think of all the non-gamers ("normal" if I may say so) and what they think about this study.

Now what I think about the study: well it really doesn't apply to me or any of my friends. Some of them are little depressed, but it is surely not because they are fat and play games all day long but have lost their jobs or something. However I don't believe that they have pulled the studies out of thin air and many gamers should probably get some exercise in order to live healthier and longer.

 

[Awesomeness]

OMG! how did they figure that out.

they must have dug up einstien and reamimated him in order to come to this conclusion.

But no in all seriousness i'm a gamer and i'm not fat or depressed, and i know loads of other gamers who aren't either as well.

 

[Nouw]

Fit? Check. Happy/Gay? Check. Gamer? Check. Ooops! I made a frikking paradox according to those scientists.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Since is retarded. I wish they would do something good for once. Whats the last good invention in 5 years. The shamwow?

 

[Lavi]

I'm fat and depressed? HOLY SHIT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT! Better go buy anti-depressants and diet pills! /sarcasm

 

[Nazulu]

This is the most flawed peice of crap I have ever heard! These scientists need their skulls smashed to see if their brains are still there, what a waste of everyones time.

Also calling people losers is taking it a bit far.

 

[WaderiAAA]

Not very surprizing, though I myself is neither depressed nor fat - but spend a lot of time on the internet.

But then, it doesn't say that all gamers are fat and depressed, just that the percentage of gamers that are, is greater than the percentage among non-gamers.

 

[Predlin]

Sadly there almost completely right. Look at me, i may be skinny as a post but I've been described as, "two burgers and some french fries short of a happy meal". Don't see where they got the whole more depressed thing, all the other gamers i know wont stop smiling.

 

[LilEmz]

Did they really need science to come to this conclusion?

I was just going to say,

I could have figured that out for them

It's a very generalised conclusion though, I have to say.

 

[Devilgod27]

hmmm im neiter fat or a loser i might be depressed but what the hell does that have to do with video games

 

[KimMR251]

I wonder how much grant money they received for such a study.

 

[Doclector]

Well, I'm not like that at all! Well, maybe a little. A sizable little. A notable little.

Okay scientists, you win, but it's not as if you're often all that socially adept either.

 

[Mr Inconsistent]

Still no cure for cancer.

y how 'bout that. can they plz focus some of the resources needed for these idiotic over dramatic and logicly anwserd question's on some reall problems!

 

[Orekoya]

Just a few flaws I discovered quickly:

Respondents classified themselves as either "players" or "non-players," and also provided "self-assessments of depression, personality, health status, physical and mental health, body mass index (BMI), and poor quality of life."

It's self-assessed, that means that their opinion is affected by their current mood, level of awareness, energy, and current situation.

If you asked me on my mental well-being after spending time with a group of friends having a laugh then it would be considerably different than the day when I feel depressed because things are not how I want them to be.

while males reported higher body mass index

Health-risk factors, specifically, a higher BMI

BMI means very little. Body fat percentage is what matters for healthiness.

I have a friend who is a couple of inches taller than me but almost twice the weight. Is he fat? No, he spends 5 days a week in the gym and goes through an insane amount of protein a day.

You measure a Rugby/American Football players BMI and he will be told he is overweight as BMI does not account for muscle.

That's how you can tell this study is totally pointless: BMI was never intended to measure health. Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing "social physics" wanted to measure social standings with body density back in the 1800s when people typically couldn't afford to be fat.

 

[Tarakos]

Well science has its flaws. Like being completely wrong about gamers for one.

 

[mightyfoo69]

wow i go out and play soccer/football 4-6 times a week in 3 hour intervals... so when i come home, i find out some scientists call me fat and depressed cause i play video games a lot? dick move...

im depressed cause of what happened in my youth... and i'm fat because i like to eat...
video games dont make people depressed... now a days it actually make people happy, because you can meet people with same ideas, beliefs or people who share the same kind or hobby, yelling HEADSHOT!

really this was a waste of time... if really wanted to know that some gamers are more obese then others then just knock on some-ones door asking if they have a video game console/computer and asking them if they are really fat and depressed, and if they dont get the shit kicked outta them then money well spent...