Power down the play.
Video games can be a fun way to relax and turn off your brain, and with 61% of Americans ages 5 to 90 report they play video games for at least an hour each week.
But all that game time can add up, as new research shows how excessive game play can be detrimental to your health.
It’s long been warned that spending a lot of time playing video games can increase anxiety, depression, eye strain, the risk of developing obesity and other health woes.
But if you or your kids are “Fortnite” fans, you should take note of the limit of weekly game time.
A new study published in Nutrition found that playing video games for more than 10 hours a week could have a significant impact on young people’s diet, sleep and body weight.
Researchers split more than 300 Australian students with an average age of 20 years into three groups based on the time spent playing.
Low gamers spent zero to five hours a week, while moderate were between five and 10 and high gamers spent more than 10 hours.
While low and moderate gamers reported similar health outcomes, the results worsened dramatically once gaming exceeded 10 hours a week.
Not only did high gamers’ diets decline in quality, but body mass index rose to an average of 26.3, within the obese range.
And while all groups reported worse sleep, both moderate and high gamers had worse sleep scores than low gamers.
Excessive gaming has also been linked to future gambling problems, especially from playing games like “Minecraft”, where loot boxes can be won, according to previous studies.
Meanwhile, another study found that too much computer time could literally make men soft and could increase the likelihood of erectile dysfunction later in life.
Even so, gamers are turning to unique ways to combine video games and exercise, with the future of fitness being gamified — literally.
Regardless, researchers behind this most recent study still warn to keep an eye on the clock if you love your game time.
“This study doesn’t prove gaming causes these issues,” said Professor Mario Siervo, from the Curtin School of Population Health, which led the study. “But it shows a clear pattern that excessive gaming may be linked to an increase in health risk factors.”
