How many hours of video games can be bad for your health

Play video games for more than 10 hours a week could have a significant impact on diet, sleep and weight body of young people, according to a new study led by Curtin University (Australia) and published in the journal Nutrition.

The researchers surveyed 317 students of five Australian universities with an average age of 20 years. They divided the participants into three groups depending on the amount of time they reported spending playing video games, from “low gamers” (0 to 5 hours per week) to “moderate gamers” (5 to 10 hours) to “high gamers” (more than 10 hours per week).

The team found that while low- and moderate-level players reported similar health outcomes, the results worsened dramatically once a youth’s playing time exceeded the limits. 10 hours per week.

The teacher Mario Servofrom the Curtin School of Population Health, highlights that the findings suggest that excessive gambling is the key problem, rather than gambling itself.

“What caught our attention was that the students who played until 10 hours a week they seemed very similar in terms of diet, sleep and body weight, he explains. “The real differences emerged in those who played more than 10 hours a week, who showed a clear divergence from the rest of the sample.”

The study found a decrease in diet quality once gaming exceeded 10 hours per week, with a higher prevalence of obesity in the high gamer group, compared to low and moderate gamers.

The high-level players had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 26.3kg/m2compared to the healthy range of 22.2kg/m2 and 22.8kg/m2 for low and moderate level players respectively.

“Each additional hour of play per week was associated with a decrease in diet quality, even after taking into account stress, physical activity and other lifestyle factors,” says the professor. Servant.

All groups generally reported poor sleep quality, but gamers moderate and high had worse results than low gamers, and hours of gaming showed a significant link with sleep disruption.

“This study does not prove that gaming causes these problems, but it does show a clear pattern that excessive gaming may be related to increased risk factors.” health risk –the expert highlights–. Our data suggests that gaming in moderation or at low levels is generally good, but excessive gaming can crowd out healthy habits like eating a balanced diet, getting adequate sleep, and staying active.

In this sense, he adds that “since college habits often persist into adulthood, adopting healthier routines, such as taking breaks from video games, avoiding late-night gaming, and choosing healthier snacks, can help improve overall well-being.”