Video Games = Obesity???

[monster1234]

We Don't Care (http://www.officialwdc.com) has an interesting response (http://www.officialwdc.com/rant.php?id=38) on the idea that video games are making the youth of America fat.

I don't think companies need to go out of their way to please those who play the blame game, but it is nice when they do. I'm already an avid runner, but I would be thrilled if a video game incorporated something like a stepometer that could upload my exercise information into a game, and give my character experience points or bonus attributes. But I'm not going to become obese if they don't.
<pant, pant> Level 35 here I come...<wheeze>

[Kefkataran]

Goddamit. If I wasn't too large to fly on a plane (not to mention the laziness), I'd buy a ticket out to wherever those bastards live and punch them in the throat.

Seriously, though, folks, if someone is obese, it's because that person has chosen to treat himself and his body badly, not because a stupid game made him obese. I play games. I also exercise for at least fifteen minutes a day. What's so hard about that?

[Abash Alarmist]

Honestly, I would buy a game that allowed me to do that. Be some sort of added motivation. Hmm, I wonder how much DDR for the Xbox is...

[Taco]

Video cames do contribute towards making some people fat. Just like television and cheetos.

What idiot wrote that article?

[Eric_T_Cheng]

How do fat kids go out and commit violent crimes?

[abso]

They kill whoever is closest to them at the time when they snap.

[Zurik]

Stop the presses! Sitting around on your ass leads to being fat? The hell you say!

I bet GTA would be less popular if you had to physically run around a virtual world from cops.

[Heretic Machine]

I love living in a country where it's gotten to the point that being fat or making people fat is a fucking crime against humanity. These health nuts need to go fuck off before I shove their heads up my fat ass.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

This is silly. Americans as a whole need to realize that the key to being healthy is watching what you eat and exercizing. This doesn't mean that you eat dry iceberg salads all day either - it simply means eating normal portions of foods, preferably whole, organic ones that don't contain massive amounts of refined sugar and preservatives.

Of course this is too hard to grasp, so millions of morons every year continue to make the dieting gimmick industry one of America's largest.

Also, healthy !=thin. Looking like Kate Moss should not be ideal.

[Talltale]

Every North American version of Dance Dance Revolution has a workout section. Yep, dance your way to a new you!

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

Time to bring back the Exertainment System (http://www.gamersgraveyard.com/repository/snes/peripherals/exertainment.html)?

[monster1234]

I've never even heard of the Exertainment System. Sounds like it was a good concept brought down with bad ideas. Plus I don't think anyone would justify a price that expensive, especially back then.

[Syrinx]

Seriously, though, folks, if someone is obese, it's because that person has chosen to treat himself and his body badly, not because a stupid game made him obese. I play games. I also exercise for at least fifteen minutes a day. What's so hard about that?

They aren't the sole reason for our nation getting fatter, but they DO contribute.

[Syl]

I've played videogames constantly for over 10 years now, and i'm one skinny guy.

[Kelegacy]

Whoa, Kefkataran, a whole 15 minutes? That's a lot! Actually that's half the recommended total, but it's better than some people get.

Being "fat" can still mean you are happy, but your heart wont be. The unneeded strain on the cardiovascular system is enormous when someone is even marginally overweight. Lift up a one pound weight...it's heavier than you'd think, so if you think about it, 20 of those little things hanging off your body could slow you down quite a bit. I've never been truly fat, but I've lost over 15 lbs of summer BBQ fat since the end of September just by cutting calories, upping the consumption of water (at least a half gallon--64 ounces a day), and minding what I eat. Getting at least a half hour of exercise, even if it's just continuous walking (about 2 miles) can also work wonders. I play a crapload of videogames, but I'll never let myself become so glued to the couch that my body starts turning into gelatin.

I'm not a health nut, but I do care about what goes into my body for the most part. I always marvel at people that say "ugh, I hate the taste of water." When you get to that point of hating the source of life for this entire planet--meaning, sugar is not involved in the mix at all-- you've hit rock bottom as a human consumption machine.

[Kagger]

I believe Jack Handy beautifully worded it:

"I bet health nuts are gonna feel real stupid when they are lieing on a bed dying of nothing"

Ya, I'm chunky. I'm not wide..just got a gut. Why am I not riding my bike? School work and Student Council eat up my time.

[spacerat100]

well not being fat is really a lifestyle change and no game, no matter how astounding, will be the catylist for somthing like that.

Plus I know tons of gamers who are skinny/built, in my experience the average tends to normal. I'm sure you can find lazy fat fucks in any occupation, hobby, ect.

[Taco]

Track and Field. Power Pad. NES.

[Kefkataran]

They aren't the sole reason for our nation getting fatter, but they DO contribute.

They only contribute insofar as people are willing to do them while not doing other stuff they should be doing to be healthy. That's the choice of the people, NOT the fault of videogames. Responsibility and free will being what they are.

Whoa, Kefkataran, a whole 15 minutes? That's a lot! Actually that's half the recommended total, but it's better than some people get.

Exactly what I mean. I don't think 15 minutes is shit, and I oftentimes wish I did more. But even that is something. I also walk instead of driving whenever it's a viable option. Meh.

Ya, I'm chunky. I'm not wide..just got a gut. Why am I not riding my bike? School work and Student Council eat up my time.

I've got a gut too. Having a gut isn't a big deal. Like someone said earlier -- healthy does not equal thin in all cases.

[fitbabits]

Nutritional ignorance cannot be overlooked when it comes to studying the obesity problem in the USA.

Walter Willet, MD (google him) once said that "if you step back and look at the data, the optimum amount of red meat you eat should be zero."

[Crabby]

The secret to health is...massive amounts of direct rads pumped onto the body at birth.

Oh, and water. Just drink water, not shitty soda.

[agentgray]

This article is just screaming, "Hello, Captian Obvious!"

It's not just games. It's the entire lifestyle.

Guess it helps when Nintendo signs a wifi deal with McDonalds.

[Achilles]

My experience is that every gamer I know won't stop playing games long enough to eat so as a result they’re all thin. Probably not healthy, but thin. They'll wait for a TV show that they like to come on and then scarf down something that they can make in the microwave, then get back to it. I’m that way as well, I barely stop to eat 2 meals a day; hard to get fat on that.

Also I agree with Mr. Gnome that healthy does not equal thin. When all the exercise that your heart gets comes from the excitement of that great killing streak you had in CoD, well I’m not positive it’s not healthy, but I can’t imagine that it is.

Edit: Come to think of it that would be an interesting pole for this site. I bet less than 20% of people who read this site (all of us gamers) are obese.

[Syrinx]

They only contribute insofar as people are willing to do them while not doing other stuff they should be doing to be healthy. That's the choice of the people, NOT the fault of videogames. Responsibility and free will being what they are.

Where did I say it was the "fault of videogames"? I said it does contribute. What draws kids attention more these days? Getting together with friends to go play basketball? Football? Oh, check out this new game I just got! Of course it's not just games, TV and the Internet are factors too.

[Captain Awesome]

This is why I don't eat while playing games? Is it that hard to separate yourself from the TV or computer monitor to eat normal meals and portions?

Or is it the overly consumed soda pop? Have water or some coffee :)

[Goronmon]

I'm kinda torn on the whole subject of blaming companies/products for causing people to become obese.

I mean, on one side you are responsible for your own health. No one forces you to eat certain things, its your own job to regulate what you are shoving down your throat.

However, I do think that certain companies and their products aren't completely free from responsibility. I mean, if a company develops a dangerous toy, they can get sued, etc. The same logic can be applied to food. Bad food can be dangerous because it can have negative affects on your health, so why are companies allowed to produce and sell those products?

The same arguments can be made for video games. Sure, its the player who's making the choice to play them. But by their very nature, video games are developed so that you sit stationary for extended periods of time. Sure, some people don't get obese because they play too much, but then again, some people can eat terrible food all the time and stay relatively skinny.

Of course, you have to acknowledge that being skinny doesn't mean you are healthy. You can be one skinny bastard and still have health problems due to lack of exercise and bad eating habits.

[The Iron Weasel]

I have a job pushing fucking carts for 6 hours a day, i think i'm going to loose some weight like that, also been cutting down on the shit i eat, its for the greater good! (If I dropped 20 pounds, and said it was because I post on EvAv, do you think Evil would pay me?)

[Kefkataran]

Where did I say it was the "fault of videogames"? I said it does contribute. What draws kids attention more these days? Getting together with friends to go play basketball? Football? Oh, check out this new game I just got! Of course it's not just games, TV and the Internet are factors too.

I think even saying it "contributes" is blowing things out of proportion. They exist, so people use them, and some people abuse them and/or themselves through their use. But the fact that they abuse them is the fault of the people. Videogames aren't "contributing" to the abuse any more than the existence of food is "contributing", because just because the games exist doesn't mean people need to play them or focus on them in lieu of good health.

[Malovech]

I love living in a country where it's gotten to the point that being fat or making people fat is a fucking crime against humanity. These health nuts need to go fuck off before I shove their heads up my fat ass.

It's not a crime against humanity but is a drain on society, especially the health care system. We weren't this fat 10 years ago - that's not a good thing. I love video games just as much as the next guy, but there are kids getting type 2 diabetes before they hit puberty. That's messed up, I don't care what anyone says.

[dead]

honestly i do see a connection. But its the same with food, TV or pushing pens in the office. If it is abused too much then of course it will lead to side effects.

[TheBrainKills]

Well I decided to walk instead of drive to go pick up a copy of Civ 4 today, it's only about a mile away so no big deal. I got there and of course they were sold out, they have 40 copies of Quake 4 and 40 copies of COD2 but Noooo they probably only had 5 copies of Civ 4 in. Since there is a Best Buy only a mile farther I thought hey why not, they couldn't be idiots too. I get there and its the same thing...its obvious because the Civ4 price sticker was there and the space for the games could only hold 5 max. Do they really think all that we play are FPS's and The Sims? Pissed me off. So I walk home ...and it started to rain. I walked 4 miles and didn't even get a game out of the deal.

[Deadend]

I'm fat, and I only can blame myself really.

It's simple, you get fat by eating more than you need.

I spent alot of time doing nothing, but I ate quite a bit, for years, so I am fat today.
Could it be because I played games? Not really.

Maybe... maybe it was the fact I ate until I felt FULL every fucking meal.
That will do the trick if you don't burn a extreme amount of calories a day.

[Goronmon]

I think even saying it "contributes" is blowing things out of proportion.
I completely disagree. Like I said before, video games are designed so that you sit stationary for long periods of time, and they are starting replace outdoor activities for kids.

I would love to see companies develop some more fully interactive type games. I know when I was a kid, the game we played the most was World Class Track Meet with the powerpad. Sure, it was simple and repetitive, but we always had fun playing, and we even ran on it most of the time (as opposed to just banging on it with your hands.)

Sure, stuff like that might not work for most gamers (who already are used to sitting on their ass for hours) but it would work great for kids.

[PantherModern]

Eat less, do more. I've lost 15 pounds in the last month just by that simple maxim. But, I didn't get overweight from video games. I got overweight cause I got married. I have a sedentary design job where I sit on my ass and design websites and company logos all day, then draw comics all night. But, I take an hour or so to do some cardio in the evenings and do my best to nt eat like a freakin' pig all the time. It sucks, but sometimes you just gotta put down those delicious ho-hos and eat a grape. Any life decision where someone consciously decides to be inactive instead of active is one that is going to potentially be detrimental. The key is moderation and variety, plain and simple. If you play Halo for 6 hours every night while sucking down chips and soda, then you are going to get a nice spare tire to complement that gamer's thumb. Personally, I have chosen to stop the killing. The assassination of America's couches, suffocated and crushed by a cruel, uncaring world, must end! Let the lazy boys and broyhills live, damn you!

[Captain Awesome]

It's not a crime against humanity but is a drain on society, especially the health care system. We weren't this fat 10 years ago - that's not a good thing. I love video games just as much as the next guy, but there are kids getting type 2 diabetes before they hit puberty. That's messed up, I don't care what anyone says.


Indeed. During the 50's the average american consumed 8 pounds of cheese per year as of today where its upward to 30 pounds of cheese per year???

Good lord, time to break out Dance Dance Revolution dudes.

[Kefkataran]

I love video games just as much as the next guy, but there are kids getting type 2 diabetes before they hit puberty. That's messed up, I don't care what anyone says.

That is messed up. But connecting it to videogames is a way of shuffling the blame from the real problem -- peoples' attitudes.

they are starting replace outdoor activities for kids.

Which is the choice of the kids and parents involved. Obviously they are no replacement for outdoor physical activity, and parents should be smart enough to see that and make sure that their kids get enough real exercise in as well.

I take an hour or so to do some cardio in the evenings and do my best to nt eat like a freakin' pig all the time.

It's so much simpler than all those bullshit diet fads, and yet so few seem to pick up on it.

It sucks, but sometimes you just gotta put down those delicious ho-hos and eat a grape.

Holy shit, I love grapes.

[Captain Awesome]

Bummer part though, grapes contain alot of sugar :D

[Heretic Machine]

Why is it so many people are so god damned concerned with the lifestyles of otheres? If you think lecturing people about being fat is any better than lecturing them about their sexual orientation/religeon/hobbies then you are mistaken. Not everyone cares about living some abnormally long life, not every cares about looking perfect. Some of us just want to live the way we naturally tend to, and be left alone.

[Taco]

Fat = Unhealthy and whether you want to admit it or not, it is not the best way to live life.
Sexual orientation/religion/hobbies = nothing to do with health

I could stand to lose a few pounds(I'm not Dennis Nedry fat ;)). I'm not going to get on my high horse of denial about it.

[holycrapper]

i just don't think anything I can add to this will top the whole, "how do fat kids perpetrate violent crimes?" undertone to this. There should be someone archiving this all for book form or something. Internet video game random qoutables...or something like that.

[Thenetcase]

I know a lot of gamers who are skinny and malnurished because they game so much they don't eat.

Obesity = Lack of self control

Gaming = just as many body type variations as the next bad / good habit.

-TNC-

[AversionFX]

I know a lot of gamers who are skinny and malnurished because they game so much they don't eat.

Obesity = Lack of self control

Gaming = just as many body type variations as the next bad / good habit.

-TNC-

Bingo. Your body type has nothing to do with your hobby (for the most part). It has everything to do with your diet (the foods you take in, and the frequency at which you take them in). Eat less candy, and drink less sodas, and you'll already be well on your way to being healthier.

Skinny does not mean healthy, but every pound overweight you are is more strain on your heart. Straining your heart is bad, by the way.

edit: For the record I'm six-two and weigh 150. Gaming hasn't made me fat in the slightest. The studies that say gaming promotes obesity are stupid and full of lies. I've been gaming for 80+ hours a week for the last 17 or so years.

[Thenetcase]

Bingo. Your body type has nothing to do with your hobby (for the most part). It has everything to do with your diet (the foods you take in, and the frequency at which you take them in). Eat less candy, and drink less sodas, and you'll already be well on your way to being healthier.

Skinny does not mean healthy, but every pound overweight you are is more strain on your heart. Straining your heart is bad, by the way.

edit: For the record I'm six-two and weigh 150. Gaming hasn't made me fat in the slightest. The studies that say gaming promotes obesity are stupid and full of lies. I've been gaming for 80+ hours a week for the last 17 or so years.


While you may be skinny, you seriously need to cut back from 80 hours a week. The doctor says that's bad for you. Try 70 hours and then 60 hours after a couple of years. Don't cut back too fast though, or you'll suffer. Maybe 10 hours a year until you're down to 20 hours a week. ;)

Oh and for what it's worth, my level 30 Tank in City of Heroes is in DAMN good health. I don't know what this obesity stuff is all about.

-TNC-

[The Iron Weasel]

You know, I have a friend that is fat, that makes fun of other fat people, as if he wern't fat.

[Kefkataran]

Why is it so many people are so god damned concerned with the lifestyles of otheres? If you think lecturing people about being fat is any better than lecturing them about their sexual orientation/religeon/hobbies then you are mistaken. Not everyone cares about living some abnormally long life, not every cares about looking perfect. Some of us just want to live the way we naturally tend to, and be left alone.

Like Taco said, fat or at least overweight-fat definitively equals unhealthy, and that's something we can say is definitely bad. There's just nothing relative about it. Now, I agree with you though, it's all a person's choice if they want to be that way. I just get pissed off when so many people choose not to be that way that we need to find things other than the people to blame it on.

[Kelegacy]

It's not a crime against humanity but is a drain on society, especially the health care system. We weren't this fat 10 years ago - that's not a good thing. I love video games just as much as the next guy, but there are kids getting type 2 diabetes before they hit puberty. That's messed up, I don't care what anyone says.

Hmm, that's a good point, and I work in a health-care organization where a good 60% of the employees are fat. That's scary. Then again, I live in the fattest state in the country, which is pathetic.

Being fat is a lifestyle choice, for the most part. I wouldn't want to live like that because it affects many parts of a person's life: social, sexual, health and mortality, self-esteem, etc etc. It really isn't hard to lose weight, so I don't know why more people don't want to. The first step is putting down the bad junk food, which people refuse to do.

[Goronmon]

The studies that say gaming promotes obesity are stupid and full of lies. I've been gaming for 80+ hours a week for the last 17 or so years.
It doesn't promote obesity? Give me a break...its amazing what people will spew forth when someone questions something they enjoy.

Gaming does promote obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle, just like any other hobby that involves you sitting on your ass for long periods of time. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. Sure, it may not be the only cause, but that doesn't mean that its trivial and should be dismissed.

Why is it so many people are so god damned concerned with the lifestyles of otheres? If you think lecturing people about being fat is any better than lecturing them about their sexual orientation/religeon/hobbies then you are mistaken. Not everyone cares about living some abnormally long life, not every cares about looking perfect. Some of us just want to live the way we naturally tend to, and be left alone.
Yeah, ummm...I don't think stuff like this is intended for people who don't give a shit about their health...though I don't where you get "natural" from sitting inside playing video games...

[fitbabits]

The first step is putting down the bad junk food, which people refuse to do.
While I agree in principle with your point, there's a large percentage of people who simply cannot afford to eat healthily. Until junk food either rockets in price or healthy alternatives drop, there will always be a disparity.

More people are buying hybrid vehicles now that the price of gas is going through the roof. It's a similar principle.

[Kefkataran]

Gaming does promote obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle, just like any other hobby that involves you sitting on your ass for long periods of time. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. Sure, it may not be the only cause, but that doesn't mean that its trivial and should be dismissed.

So if it's not trivial and should not be dismissed, what exactly are you saying here? What is it we should do about it? If it's just teaching kids to do stuff other than gaming, not a bad idea, and I've always thought parents should. But I don't know how much further you're suggesting we take it.

While I agree in principle with your point, there's a large percentage of people who simply cannot afford to eat healthily. Until junk food either rockets in price or healthy alternatives drop, there will always be a disparity.

That's a really good point, and one that's not often addressed. As a college student, I understand that one all too well.

[Kelegacy]

While I agree in principle with your point, there's a large percentage of people who simply cannot afford to eat healthily. Until junk food either rockets in price or healthy alternatives drop, there will always be a disparity.

More people are buying hybrid vehicles now that the price of gas is going through the roof. It's a similar principle.

Junk food consists of chips, soda, snack cakes, and stuff of their ilk. These are snacks, these are not meals. People would be saving money if they stayed away from this stuff. Cereal for breakfast is fairly cheap (I pay 2.99 for 2 lbs of generic cheerios in a bag), I don't snack on chocolate, grease, or other fatty foods. Bananas are fairly cheap, at 44 cents a lb and make great snacks. Lean meats are a bit more expensive, but not earth shattering. Eating marginally healthy isn't too hard if you shop around. Hell, Smart Ones or Lean Cuisines give you low-fat and low calorie food for about 1.89 a dinner. You can round that out with 45-50 cent yogurt and have a meal. Or, buy deli meat and make a sandwich instead of ordering that pizza. Oh, and drink water!! It's free!

The fact of the matter here is, if you can afford to play videogames, you can afford to eat healthy.

[fitbabits]

Junk food consists of chips, soda, snack cakes, and stuff of their ilk. These are snacks, these are not meals. People would be saving money if they stayed away from this stuff. Cereal for breakfast is fairly cheap (I pay 2.99 for 2 lbs of generic cheerios in a bag), I don't snack on chocolate, grease, or other fatty foods. Bananas are fairly cheap, at 44 cents a lb and make great snacks. Lean meats are a bit more expensive, but not earth shattering. Eating marginally healthy isn't too hard if you shop around. Hell, Smart Ones or Lean Cuisines give you low-fat and low calorie food for about 1.89 a dinner. You can round that out with 45-50 cent yogurt and have a meal. Or, buy deli meat and make a sandwich instead of ordering that pizza. Oh, and drink water!! It's free!

The fact of the matter here is, if you can afford to play videogames, you can afford to eat healthy.
Right, but a Big Mac, fries and a diet Coke is still only two bucks. That's a full meal to too many people. And it's already prepared - no hassle.

[Thenetcase]

Right, but a Big Mac, fries and a diet Coke is still only two bucks. That's a full meal to too many people. And it's already prepared - no hassle.

So we get back to the point that fat people are generally lazy when it comes to food.

I've lost 40lbs in the last 6 months, so I have some room to speak here. I've got a long ways to go, but I'm losing weight fast and I'm LOVING IT.

I've also found out that buying healthy food ACTUALLY *SAVES* me money. LOTS of money.
Eggs are healthy and they are cheap. When I want a snack in the middle of the day, I whip out a hard boiled egg. (Do NOT try to argue the healthiness of eggs -- I WILL obliterate you with more science than you want to read).
Celery with cream cheese is also an excellent snack and tastes good (or with peanut butter-- also healthy). Whole grain bread is healthy and costs no more than regular bread.

If you want to scare yourself, start looking at the costs per pound of food and see where you stand with your junk food? Some forms of potato chips cost over $20/lbs where as cheddar cheese costs $5lbs or less (Sams Club pricing).

The bottom line is that the claim "Junk food costs less" is a COMPLETE myth! There is no way junk food costs less. It's unhealthy and costs more than healthy food. Also bear in mind that it takes LESS healthy food than junk food to satisfy your hunger.

-TNC-

[fitbabits]

Eggs are healthy and they are cheap. When I want a snack in the middle of the day, I whip out a hard boiled egg. (Do NOT try to argue the healthiness of eggs -- I WILL obliterate you with more science than you want to read).
And putrid-smelling gas! :D

[Neosho]

:: snip ::
The bottom line is that the claim "Junk food costs less" is a COMPLETE myth! There is no way junk food costs less. It's unhealthy and costs more than healthy food. Also bear in mind that it takes LESS healthy food than junk food to satisfy your hunger.

-TNC-

Gotta back him up here, I eat (fairly) healthy, try to avoid crappy food, and eating out, and i'm getting by on about a 40$$ tab a week from trader joe's. Sure, i'm not eating a lot of red meat or special super dinners each night, but i've got a nice selection of foods and stuff to chow down on when i'm hungry.

[Kelegacy]

Gotta back him up here, I eat (fairly) healthy, try to avoid crappy food, and eating out, and i'm getting by on about a 40$$ tab a week from trader joe's. Sure, i'm not eating a lot of red meat or special super dinners each night, but i've got a nice selection of foods and stuff to chow down on when i'm hungry.

It costs me about 40 bucks a week to eat as well--meals, snacks and all.

[Taco]

$40 doesn't go a long way on a pizza diet.

[Heretic Machine]

Yeah, ummm...I don't think stuff like this is intended for people who don't give a shit about their health...though I don't where you get "natural" from sitting inside playing video games...

Well, I sit on my ass and play video games. To do anything I don't enjoy, I would have to motivate myself to do so, essentially taking myself out of my natural lifestyle.

I'm not fat, I'm overweight at a little over 200 pounds and 5' 11". I don't care, and I don't intend to change anything about my life to adjust to your ideas of what is and isn't a good way to live. If I die tomarrow from a heart attack, that's fine, because I lived my life the way I wanted to. Anyone tries to change that is going to get a fight on their hands.

You say that it's different than any other lifestyle choice, because it's "obviously unhealthy." Well, most Catholics would argue that it's unhealthy for the soul to be gay. Most Baptists will tell you that you will burn in hell if you're not one of them. Your opinions on how I "should" be living is irrelevant to me, and anyone with half a brain knows this. So, stuff it up your ass.

[Taco]

You say that it's different than any other lifestyle choice, because it's "obviously unhealthy." Well, most Catholics would argue that it's unhealthy for the soul to be gay. Most Baptists will tell you that you will burn in hell if you're not one of them.
There is the matter of scientific proof and all that.

But for the sake of your argument we can ignore that.

It IS healthier if you are not overweight, period. It can not be compared to any crazy religion BS in any way, shape or form. It comes down to whether you care if you are healthy or not. Obviously your choice is directed 100% by opinion. I've never noticed all the preaching and forcing you seem to.

I'm 6'4" 280 on a wide frame. I'm a big dude, I don't much care right now. I like my pizza, ribs and beer. But as I get older(I'll be 24 shortly) I'm going to have to start taking care of myself better if I want to live past 45. My opinion of course and not meant for anyone to take as being preachy.

[Heretic Machine]

Oh, and since I'm being an advocate for the fat life-style, lemme go ahead and share my diet.

For breakfest, I eat a bowl of cereal, either Frosted Flakes or Lucky Charms. With this I'll try to have a single bannana.

For lunch I'll have a bag of chips and a fruit salad. Though often times breakfest and lunch are at the same time for me, and I'll only have either the bannana or the fruit salad.

For dinner I'll have one of the following
a) Burgers/Fries (a couple times a week on average)
b) Burrito from Chipotle
c) A sandwich from Jimmy John's (Veto sub)
d) A pizza from Papa John's because of the student discount ($6 large)
g) On occassion I'll have cheese sticks from somewhere as my meal.

This is only during the school year, since I can't actually make food myself in a dorm.

For a snack, I may have a bowl of oatmeal made in the microwave, or possibly a strawberry Pop-tart. My drink of choice is normally water, though I do also drink Ice Tea usually once a night, and during a game of D&D I'll have two Mountain Dews.

[Kelegacy]

Well, I sit on my ass and play video games. To do anything I don't enjoy, I would have to motivate myself to do so, essentially taking myself out of my natural lifestyle.

I'm not fat, I'm overweight at a little over 200 pounds and 5' 11". I don't care, and I don't intend to change anything about my life to adjust to your ideas of what is and isn't a good way to live. If I die tomarrow from a heart attack, that's fine, because I lived my life the way I wanted to. Anyone tries to change that is going to get a fight on their hands.

You say that it's different than any other lifestyle choice, because it's "obviously unhealthy." Well, most Catholics would argue that it's unhealthy for the soul to be gay. Most Baptists will tell you that you will burn in hell if you're not one of them. Your opinions on how I "should" be living is irrelevant to me, and anyone with half a brain knows this. So, stuff it up your ass.

That's the glory of free will; you have the power to do what you want, live how you want. But just don't piss and moan when you have a stroke because of high blood pressure and need someone else to wipe your ass, or have to take insulin or pills to regulate your blood sugar because of diabetes; don't whine when you have trouble breathing because the fat is putting undue stress on your respitory and cardiovascular systems. How about a painful heart attack to go along with those, or wheezing when you bend over to pick up a pencil? Impotence, kidney failure leading to dialysis, colon cancer from all the bad food ruining your exit portal. The list of illnesses is endless.

Youthful people seldom have anything to worry about; but it is the habits people form as youths that stick with them for the rest of their lives. And overweight people, if they die prematurely, rarely die painless deaths.

And you must care a little about all of this, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten so defensive and angry. Not attacking you, my friend, just addressing this topic as a whole.

[AversionFX]

It doesn't promote obesity? Give me a break...its amazing what people will spew forth when someone questions something they enjoy.


Oh, don't be such an idiot. If a large percentage of gamers are skinny, then it doesn't PROMOTE obesity. Grabbing a bag of twinkies as a snack PROMOTES obesity.

PROMOTES in this context means IS A CAUSE OF.

Playing video games does NOT make you fat.

Anyone who says OTHERWISE is a blatant idiot.

Not eating well causes a person to become overweight. Not exercising ALSO causes a person to become overweight.

That's like saying "Driving a car makes you fat!" Simply retarded logic.

[Heretic Machine]

And you must care a little about all of this

I care when people start attacking other people's lifestyles for no good god-damn reason. I'm not gay, but when people start gay bashing you better believe I step up and tell them the way it is. People should be able to live their lives without harming anyone and not have to put up with bullshit from people who think that they are living the wrong way.

[Taco]

Who's giving you bullshit exactly.

[Kefkataran]

You say that it's different than any other lifestyle choice, because it's "obviously unhealthy." Well, most Catholics would argue that it's unhealthy for the soul to be gay. Most Baptists will tell you that you will burn in hell if you're not one of them. Your opinions on how I "should" be living is irrelevant to me, and anyone with half a brain knows this. So, stuff it up your ass.

Bit testy, are we? No one's telling you how to live, anyways. We're just telling you what's healthier. *shrug*

I care when people start attacking other people's lifestyles for no good god-damn reason. I'm not gay, but when people start gay bashing you better believe I step up and tell them the way it is. People should be able to live their lives without harming anyone and not have to put up with bullshit from people who think that they are living the wrong way.

We're just saying there's a way of living that's better for people's bodies. I don't think anyone here is going to go out of their way to actually insult overweight people or try and force them to change their lifestyles. Hell, I still lead a very unhealthy life in a lot of ways. When I actually stop drinking pop and eating pizza three times a week, maybe I can talk.

[Kelegacy]

Bit testy, are we? No one's telling you how to live, anyways. We're just telling you what's healthier. *shrug*



We're just saying there's a way of living that's better for people's bodies. I don't think anyone here is going to go out of their way to actually insult overweight people or try and force them to change their lifestyles. Hell, I still lead a very unhealthy life in a lot of ways. When I actually stop drinking pop and eating pizza three times a week, maybe I can talk.

I can help you out a bit, I think. Switch from soda to beer and drink LOTS of it, saturate yourself with the stuff, and THEN eat pizza, washed down by lots more beer. I guarantee you'll puke it all up, thus leading to having your cake, eating it, too, and not worrying about those pizza calories.

This is one way to calculate your BMI (body mass index). Try it out here (http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/) and compare your scores to the left guidelines. Me, I'm barely in the normal zones. I need to lose a bit more to feel satisfied.

[Kefkataran]

Switch from soda to beer and drink LOTS of it, saturate yourself with the stuff, and THEN eat pizza, washed down by lots more beer.

I actually don't drink, but I'd like to assume that if I did, I'd drink something more classy than beer. All my soak friends tell me beer is shit.

[Taco]

Newcastle ain't shit.

[Kelegacy]

I actually don't drink, but I'd like to assume that if I did, I'd drink something more classy than beer. All my soak friends tell me beer is shit.

Your friends need to be flogged. Hard.

Beer is one of life's true jollies. Granted, it is an aquired taste, but so isn't coffee, cigarettes, giving blowjobs....

The other day I was thinking about how I hated the first beer I ever tasted and almost gagged (I was 16) and despised coffee until I was midway through college (and only really have started to drink more of it). Now I can tell the difference between good and bad coffees, like the shit I drank this morning. Beer is the same way. I drank before college, but in college I got really really ill off Bud Light and couldn't touch beer for a very long time after...I just lost my taste for it because of that puke-filled night. I got over it a year or so later, and after college, when I could afford expensive brews, I found that my taste buds had been fooled throughout school. Natural Light and Busch are not beer. They are piss with marginal traces of alcohol in them. But college kids don't care about taste...it's the buzz that matters. And it takes a bit to get drunk off beer so it is a wonderful social drink.

And fat girls look beautiful.

[Goronmon]

PROMOTES in this context means IS A CAUSE OF.

That's like saying "Driving a car makes you fat!" Simply retarded logic.
Ummm...I would say driving a car does promote obesity. If people stopped driving today, and just walked everywhere they needed to go, I can guarantee you that the number of obese people in the US would drop significantly.

Video games do contribute to obesity. You are sitting stationary for long periods of time. I'd like to see you argue that sitting in one place somehow makes a person skinnier ior healthier.

So, there are plenty of skinny gamers. I would argue that its because their diet is so terrible that there body is barely getting enough nutrition to sustain itself.

[Neosho]

I can help you out a bit, I think. Switch from soda to beer and drink LOTS of it, saturate yourself with the stuff, and THEN eat pizza, washed down by lots more beer. I guarantee you'll puke it all up, thus leading to having your cake, eating it, too, and not worrying about those pizza calories.

This is one way to calculate your BMI (body mass index). Try it out here (http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/) and compare your scores to the left guidelines. Me, I'm barely in the normal zones. I need to lose a bit more to feel satisfied.


Uhh, that scale claims that someone who weighs 137 pounds is still "normal" BMI for a 6'0 adult. I think not. Low end of normal or not, that's fucking skin and bones right there. Also, 5'0 and 95 pounds is not exactly an ideal body weight either. I think that scale is off. Perhaps a bit too forgiving on the low end.

[AversionFX]

Ummm...I would say driving a car does promote obesity. If people stopped driving today, and just walked everywhere they needed to go, I can guarantee you that the number of obese people in the US would drop significantly.

Video games do contribute to obesity.

Wow, you are retarded.

Sitting down makes you fat? Weird.

I guess that, regardless of your diet, if you sit down for more than an hour a day, you're much more likely to be obese!

Goddamn, some of you people are completely stupid.

[Kelegacy]

Uhh, that scale claims that someone who weighs 137 pounds is still "normal" BMI for a 6'0 adult. I think not. Low end of normal or not, that's fucking skin and bones right there. Also, 5'0 and 95 pounds is not exactly an ideal body weight either. I think that scale is off. Perhaps a bit too forgiving on the low end.

It could be off. I am 5'11 and the index tops out at 176 for my range, making me 26.3 percent body fat. I just did a quick search and found that. It could be complete shit. But I do know that it's very close for my size. I knew that about 180 or more is considered "overweight" for my bracket. Some other sites/tests take into consideration small, medium, and large builds. I would think of myself as a medium, but then I'm overweight. As a large frame I'm just right. Weird.

[Goronmon]

Wow, you are retarded.

Sitting down makes you fat? Weird.

I guess that, regardless of your diet, if you sit down for more than an hour a day, you're much more likely to be obese!

Goddamn, some of you people are completely stupid.
Its amazing how you are able to completely miss the point. I never said an hour of sitting makes you fat. I said anything that requires you to sit stationary for extended periods of time.

The more you replace non-stationary activity with stationary activity, the greater chance you have of becoming fat (ie. replacing sports with video games, walking with driving).

I don't know really why I am arguing my point, as you obviously aren't even reading my posts, and are just being defensive because I commited the sin of saying there might be a bad side to playing video games all the time.

Are you seriously trying to argue that someone who plays video games for hours a day, drives everywhere doesn't have a greater chance of becoming obese than someone who plays sports and walks or rides a bike everywhere they go?

Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that video games are this evil influence that should be purged from our society, I am saying that playing a lot of video games isn't exactly a healthy lifestyle choice, just like smoking cigarettes, eating tons of bad food, etc.

[Thenetcase]

Well, just so you all know...

I hold the international record for the most gold medals awarded for Olympic Sitting Events. I have far exceeded my competition and have a wall of medals to prove it.

Frito Lays would be proud.

-TNC-

(Sarcasm duely noted people)

[Kefkataran]

Beer is one of life's true jollies. Granted, it is an aquired taste, but so isn't coffee, cigarettes, giving blowjobs....

I do dig coffee, or have started to. Just started drinking it last year, but I realized quickly how important it is for my writing. :p


Ummm...I would say driving a car does promote obesity. If people stopped driving today, and just walked everywhere they needed to go, I can guarantee you that the number of obese people in the US would drop significantly.

So are you saying you're just about not giving people a choice at all? I think the number of obese people would drop in that case too, but I'm still sticking by this free will thing pretty hardcore.

I'd like to see you argue that sitting in one place somehow makes a person skinnier ior healthier.

So, there are plenty of skinny gamers. I would argue that its because their diet is so terrible that there body is barely getting enough nutrition to sustain itself.

You just answered your own argument for you. Irregardless of whether or not their skinniness is healthy (in many cases, it probably is not), these gamers aren't obese, and as their weight is commonly due to not eating because of games, sitting in one place *is* making them skinnier.

Gaming promotes skinniness!

Videogames contribute to losing weight!

The more you replace non-stationary activity with stationary activity, the greater chance you have of becoming fat (ie. replacing sports with video games, walking with driving).


So it's the choice to replace these things that really contributes to the potential obesity, not the things themselves. Free. Will.

because I commited the sin of saying there might be a bad side to playing video games all the time.

Most of us posting on here are in college or have full-time jobs. We're not people who are playing video games all the time, so I don't think it's defensiveness towards that that makes us shun your shitty, semi-fascist idea. I say semi-fascist only because you haven't *directly* stated that the solution to this apparant problem is getting rid of things that promote obesity (you ignored my post asking), but it does seem to be the only plausible one given your attitude.


Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that video games are this evil influence that should be purged from our society, I am saying that playing a lot of video games isn't exactly a healthy lifestyle choice, just like smoking cigarettes, eating tons of bad food, etc.

Okay, okay, that's a little more clear and maybe you're not so fascist. But that's been the point we've been arguing from the beginning: these are lifestyle CHOICES that are bad. The various things in and off themselves aren't great evils. It's when people choose to abuse them that they become as such.

Holy shit, I sound like an NRA spokesperson. Savok would be proud. I need to go to bed.

[Goronmon]

So are you saying you're just about not giving people a choice at all? I think the number of obese people would drop in that case too, but I'm still sticking by this free will thing pretty hardcore.
I don't know if you are being dense on purpose or not, but my statement was a hypothetical situation, not a solution to the obesity problem.

You just answered your own argument for you. Irregardless of whether or not their skinniness is healthy (in many cases, it probably is not), these gamers aren't obese, and as their weight is commonly due to not eating because of games, sitting in one place *is* making them skinnier.
Look, not all gamers are skinny, there are plenty of overweight gamers in the world, trust me. If an avid gamer is skinny there are two reasons why. Either their body is able to keep them from becoming obese, or their diet is bad enough that their body is barely sustaining itself. These two cases don't show that gaming doesn't contribute to obesity, just that there are ways to stop what should be happening. Of course, this problem solves itself if you replace "obesity" with "unhealthiness".

So it's the choice to replace these things that really contributes to the potential obesity, not the things themselves. Free. Will.
I'm sorry, but your logic makes no sense. The choice is what leads to obesity, but the choice has to involve an activity that causes obesity. By your logic, replacing walking with swimming could cause obesity. Though I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here, since you aren't really arguing against my point that playing video games contributes to obesity. You seem to be arguing about taking responsibility for your choices, which is defiantely not what I am arguing against.

Most of us posting on here are in college or have full-time jobs. We're not people who are playing video games all the time, so I don't think it's defensiveness towards that that makes us shun your shitty, semi-fascist idea. I say semi-fascist only because you haven't *directly* stated that the solution to this apparant problem is getting rid of things that promote obesity (you ignored my post asking), but it does seem to be the only plausible one given your attitude.
I have never argued that we should get rid of things that contribute to obesity. I'm just trying to make the point that playing video games contributes to obesity, as some people seem to think isn't the case.

Okay, okay, that's a little more clear and maybe you're not so fascist. But that's been the point we've been arguing from the beginning: these are lifestyle CHOICES that are bad. The various things in and off themselves aren't great evils. It's when people choose to abuse them that they become as such.
I think you are trying to read too much into what I am arguing. My original argument was against AversionFX who said that gaming doesn't promote obesity, which I disagree with.

So to sum this up...

I disagree that gaming doesn't contribute to obesity.

I agree that people have to take responsibility for their choices.

[Kefkataran]

I disagree that gaming doesn't contribute to obesity.

I agree that people have to take responsibility for their choices.

Well, like I said in my original post, I just don't like the use of the word 'contribute', because I don't think games do 'contribute'. I think games are something that can help lead to obesity (potentially) if overused. But because there needs to be a conscious choice to overuse them, games do not contribute to obesity in and of themselves. In other words, games can help you get fat, but you need to be choosing to do so in the first place.

Saying that "games contribute to obesity" seems to have some heavy connotations that any playing of games at all could cause you to gain wait. That's my major beef, I guess, even though I'm sure you don't intend that from your statement.

I think we probably agree mostly.