Do Video Games Drive Obesity?

Are children, teenagers and adults who spend a lot of time playing video games really more obese? A meta study conducted with the University of Würzburg has looked into this question. The cliché is true - but only for adults. A chubby teen lolling on the sofa for hours on end, the game controller in one hand, a bag of crisps at his side and a bottle of coke on the coffee table. This is the mental picture many people have of the typical gamer. Along with this goes the widespread notion that frequent gaming contributes to obesity. Is this justified? "The study contradicts this stereotype for children and teenagers. In adults, there is a slight positive correlation between playing video games and body mass," explains Professor Markus Appel, a communication psychologist at the University of Würzburg.