“Excessive Gaming” Could Be Damaging Your Health, Study Suggests

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Here at TopMob, we’re passionate about video games, and since you’re visiting our site, we figure you probably enjoy them too! But it’s important to remember that playing for too long can negatively impact your physical, emotional, and mental well-being, according to recent research.

A recent study published in the Nutrition journal and highlighted by Medical Xpress examined the impact of extensive video game playing on young adults. Researchers from around the globe, led by Professor Mario Siervo at Curtin University in Australia, surveyed 317 university students (with an average age of 20). They found that students who played video games for more than 10 hours a week were more likely to have poor diets, trouble sleeping, and gain weight.

Honestly, what really struck me from the study was that gamers who played around 10 hours a week all seemed to have pretty similar lifestyles – same kinds of diets, sleep patterns, and roughly the same weight. But things really changed for those of us who were playing more than 10 hours a week. We started to look and live quite differently from everyone else in the study, and that’s where the biggest differences showed up.

Keep in mind that a study involving only 317 students from five universities is a very limited sample, so the results might not represent the broader population.

Researchers divided video game players into three groups based on how much they played each week: “high gamers” (10+ hours), “moderate gamers” (5–10 hours), and “low gamers” (0–5 hours). The study found that those who played the most video games tended to have poorer diets and higher rates of obesity. For instance, the average body mass index (BMI) for high gamers was 26.3, which is considered overweight. This compared to 22.2 and 22.8 for low and moderate gamers, respectively – both within the normal, healthy weight range.

As a fan, I found it really interesting to learn about sleep and gaming. The study showed that everyone struggled with sleep a bit, but the moderate and hardcore gamers had much worse sleep than those who played less. It seems like all those hours spent gaming were really messing with their sleep quality – it was a big factor!

The study found that people who played more video games each week tended to have poorer diets, even when researchers considered things like stress levels, exercise, and other lifestyle choices. While the study doesn’t prove that gaming causes these issues, it suggests a connection between a lot of gaming and increased health risks. According to the research, playing games in moderation is usually okay, but excessive gaming might take the place of healthy habits like eating well, getting enough sleep, and being physically active.

There’s still reason to be optimistic, according to Siervo. Young adults who developed certain habits in college can still change them, as long as they do so before those habits become deeply ingrained parts of who they are.

Siervo explained that habits formed during university often continue into adult life. Developing healthier routines – like taking breaks from gaming, not playing late at night, and choosing nutritious snacks – can contribute to better overall health and wellness.

As for the rest of us? Well, the jury’s still out.

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2026-01-16 00:41