If anyone complains about children's addiction to video games these days, a new study published in the Australian journal 'Nutrition' points to the need to more accurately define their complaints, as the crisis lies not in the games themselves, but in the time people spend playing them. Researchers from Curtin University analyzed data from more than 300 Australian students who reported the number of hours they spend playing games weekly. Such simple changes can make a big difference to health in the short and long term, while still allowing enough room for immersion in the digital world. While all groups reported generally poor sleep quality, the performance of moderate and high-level players was worse, suggesting they are replacing some sleep hours with extra sessions to gain experience points. Excessive play leads students to neglect other, perhaps more important, aspects of their lives and health, such as getting enough sleep, exercising at least a little, and preparing healthy meals. According to the researchers, all players need to do to reduce some risks is to take longer breaks and not play late into the night. The noticeable disparity began after exceeding 10 hours of play per week. Students in the group that spent a long time playing had a lower-quality diet, a higher body mass index, and worse sleep. Participants were divided into three groups: low players (0-5 hours), moderate players (5-10 hours), and high players (more than 10 hours). The results were as expected.. The two groups (low and moderate players) were very similar in terms of diet, sleep, and weight. Their average body mass index was 26.3, placing them on the edge of being overweight, compared to much healthier averages of 22.2 and 22.8 for low and moderate players, respectively. According to lead researcher Mario Servo, each additional hour of play per week was associated with a significant decrease in diet quality, even after accounting for stress, exercise, and other lifestyle factors. Some university students already suffer from lack of sleep, but the situation is significantly exacerbated if the student is a gaming enthusiast who tries to spend more than 10 hours a week playing.
