Forget Teens: Gamers Are 35, Overweight — And Sad, CDC says

[The Straight Story]

Forget Teens: Gamers Are 35, Overweight — And Sad, CDC says

When you think of a hard-core gamer, do you picture a teenage boy battling his friends in World of Warcraft?

Think again.

The average gamer, far from being a teen, is actually a 35-year-old man who is overweight, aggressive, introverted — and often depressed, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (download PDF). The study also shows that when children and teenagers become game players, a trend toward physical inactivity and corresponding health problems extends — and is exacerbated — into adulthood.

“Among researchers, there is growing concern and uncertainty about the health consequences of video game playing,” the CDC reported. “Given the ubiquity of video games — industry estimates suggest that they are played in 65% of American households — these concerns may be justified.”

The study notes that half of gamers are between 18 and 49 years old, while 25% are 50 and older. The CDC also pointed out that of online gamers aged 8 to 34, nearly 12% showed multiple signs of addiction.

The study, based on a 2006 online survey of 552 people between the ages of 19 and 90 who were living in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington state, also shows differences between male and female gamers.

Men reported that gaming gives them a “reason to get together,” while women said they are looking more for a diversion than social interaction. Despite the fact that men and women offered differing reasons for playing, they experienced several of the same health effects.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/08/gamers-are-sad

[ixion]

1. we just need our bodies to hold out long enough so that

we can have our minds absorbed into the neural network. :)

[Edweird]

2. Southpark was ahead of the curve on this :)

http://videoutopia.smartvideochannel.com/media/playvideo.aspx?cid=28D323DD11C14FDB9BDCF21BC876A1F1

[d_b]

7. haha this is great

[Libertas1776]

10. You bet

[Enrique]

27. that's really funny

killing boars. :rofl:

[BREMPRO]

100. one of the funniest episodes EVER. They nailed the gamers!

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. WOW they just caught on to industry stats!!!!!

We've known this for a while.

These are the guys and gals who grew up playing RPGs in many ways, and graduated to computers

[The Straight Story]

4. Ah the old AD&D Days

:)

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I rather play 3.5 but yes

fourth edition, no thank you.

[The Straight Story]

9. Wonder how a game based on congress/prez/sc would work out

I rolled a 20! "Your legislation is now out of committee, roll 2d10 to see chance of it moving on"

:rofl:

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. At times it feels like that, doesn't it?

Wait, I hold a licence for 3-3.5 SRD

:evilgrin:

Modern American Elections, the 3.5 edition

[surrealAmerican]

20. It sounds marketable to me.

You'd have to keep it away from the kids though, or they might start running for congress or something.

[Veruca Salt]

101. Sign me up, i'll dust off the dice for that one!

[Johonny]

90. moving to Pathfinder

[rrneck]

19. Damned if I didn't watch the whole. thing.

And ate half a bag of potato chips doing it.

:rofl:

[Curtland1015]

6. That report is WAY off!

I'm thirty-two.

[jannyk]

70. ...and I'm 57. So maybe the average is correct. nt

[LooseWilly]

8. "... his concern isn’t just with gaming but with social networks, as well."

Ooops... looks like one analyst, Jim McGregor, would apply that same analysis to DU as well as to video games.

And as for the "nearly 12% showed multiple signs of addiction"... I'll do you one better... go top up my drink in an attempt to innoculate myself from the symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine, and go play a video game... thus showing multiple signs of multiple addictions.

:nopity:

I'm beginning to suspect that society is addicted to defining behaviors that they don't personally like as addictions. I wonder if an analysis would (could?) indicate that the Republican base showed "signs of addiction" to GWB?

[nickinSTL]

11. well, let's see...

I do role-playing games, but not computer games. No interest, there.

I do role-playing games as a social activity. I can take or leave the gaming, really. It's a chance to get out, hang out with friends, eat good food and talk a lot.

I'm in no way obsessed, and while I'm in my mid-30s and overweight, I do get out an exercise regularly. I also have pretty healthy eating habits.

As for the depressed and aggressive...uh, no. I have a good job, which I enjoy, good friends (many of whom I game with), a solid marriage, and I'm one of the least aggressive people you'll meet.

While I do occasionally play video games, it's kind of rare. Best video game I've played recently is Rock Band on a friend's PS3. Another game which encourages social interaction- and can be great fun, IMO.

[undeterred]

12. I don't get 'games'.

I mean, I enjoy a little mahjjong when I'm on hold, but anything more than that seems like a waste of time.

[Forkboy]

15. Do you watch tv or movies?

[undeterred]

16. Rarely.

[Forkboy]

18. A bigger waste of time, and far more passive, than video games.

Games do nothing without thought and input from the player. Tv and movies are just the opposite. They'll still finish without you.

[dem629]

30. Maybe b/c you're over 12?

;)

[TransitJohn]

33. You didn't

like to pretend when you were a kid? It's sort of the same thing.

[Lorien]

103. I liked to pretend when I was a kid

but by the time I became an adult it didn't interest me anymore. I tried the SCA for a while as a pre-teen and teen, but that didn't fly as an adult either. :shrug:

[TexasObserver]

14. Recommend ... covered by South Park - War of the World

"a trend toward physical inactivity and corresponding health problems"


Is anyone surprised that adult, middle aged gamers are aggressive, overweight, and out of shape?

[Taitertots]

17. They don't call it warcrack for nothing

The games are just getting so hard to play you have to be 35 and overweight. It just took them all that long to understand how to play. My X-box remote has two joysticks, a D-pad, and 10 buttons.


Do video games make you overweight and depressed, or does being overweight and depressed make you play video games?

[XemaSab]

47. I think this is the right question to ask

I think being overweight and depressed makes you play video games.

Similarly, I sit around and surf the net all day because I have no life.

If I had a life, I wouldn't sit around and surf the net all day.

[Taitertots]

79. It really is which came first the chicken or the egg

I sit around and surf the net all day because I can get away with it at work.

Now sitting around all day is making me fat and depressed, so I play more video games at work. It really is a vicious cycle.

[MattBaggins]

64. WoW, Aion, Warhammer on the Wii is the answer

How far are we from MMO's where you actually have to twirl your hands around to send that ball of fire up your opponents ass?

Or are we more likely to develop an implantable chip that allows me to take on dragons in my mind while I lie in bed drooling?

Either way this addict says bring it on.

[Taitertots]

87. What is next is a combination

Wii and X-box. It has 20 buttons, three joysticks, and you have to wave it above your head. If you are not overweight when you start, you will be depressed and overweight by the time you figure out how to play.

[yost69]

21. Umm with the majority of the united states being overweight

how is that the video games fault?

[Strong Atheist]

22. Yeah, dump on the gamers. Again.

x(

[walldude]

26. Right? You'd think they'd run out of shit to blame the downfall

of mankind on. Books, Dime Novels, Comic Books, Rock And Roll, Movies, TV, Video Games... it's always something..

[Strong Atheist]

28. I'm a gamer from way back. It's all BS...

x(

[PVnRT]

63. You forgot fast food and teacher's unions

The new vogue on DU.

[Strong Atheist]

96. Yeah, I'm a teacher, too ... nt.

[JHB]

66. It's a wonder tthey left out occultism and devil worship... n/t

[cprompt]

23. im a long time gamer but different reasons

first i think geography plays into this study considerably when it comes to the depressed portion. study done in the seattle-tacoma area which typically ranks per capita one of the highest depression rates in the US so keep that in mind. I started gaming in 98 with rainbow six, beta tested counter-strike from b7 to 1.6, and have played WoW the past 2 years. initially i got into gaming due to work schedule, I'd get home at midnight, need a few hours to unwind and lets face it tv at that time of night sucks.

my wife and i have this discussion often, she can sit there and watch tv on any given night for 2-3 hours and be completely entertained. personally, i need more interaction, i need my brain involved in something versus passive entertainment. i played games since atari 2600 and credit that for a, from what I've seen, higher than normal problem-solving ability, as well as coordination, logic, etc. I allow my son to play certain challenging games for that reason as well. like anything in life moderation is key.

[freeplessinseattle]

25. also lots of techies here, who often seem drawn

to gaming, so that might skew the study somewhat. yeah, and in general, higher rate of depression here, agreed.

[Occulus]

35. Exactly.

Would you let your kid play Portal?

Please?

[Evoman]

24. What's a gamer? How long do you have to play?

I love video games. Love em. I'm just too freakin busy to play them often. Am I a gamer?

[Occulus]

36. Name your gear.

Console, or PC? If console, which? If PC, what specs?

I don't have a lot of time to play games either, but here's what I can recall off the top of my head:

Dead PS2- several games

Final Fantasy 8, 9, 10-2, 12 (lost my copy of 10; 7 got ripped off)
Destroy All Humans
We Love Katamari (oh good God that is an addictive game)
A few Pro Pinball games from the PS days
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
LOTR: Two Towers

and several others

PC:

AMD Phenom 9500 quad core
Two NVidia 9500 GT 512MB video cards
XFX NForce motherboard- not the best but hey, it was a package with the CPU
4GB RAM

half a terabyte of storage- and I have a need for more space!!

Half-Life 2 + episode one and two
Team Fortress 2
Portal
Puzzle Quest Galactrix
Crysis
Prototype
The entire Myst series
Unreal Tournament 3
Bioshock
The Last Remnant
Civilization III and IV
DOOM 3
The Sims 3
Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 & 3
Mirror's Edge
Plants vs. Zombies
Children of the Nile
Diablo II
The Movies
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box
Spore
Command & Conquer 3 and the Kane's Wrath expansion
Everything from every old console I can emulate that I can get my hands on, including everything from the 2600 and the Commodore 64 to the N64 and the PS
more from current and older years I'm sure

Not bragging, really; those are just the ones I can think of without rooting through my collection.

[Evoman]

54. K

Console:

PS2 - lots of games (over 40).

PS3 - Orange box, GTA4, Fallout 3, Sonic Genesis Collection, Lego Indiana Jones, Folklore, Assassin's Creed, Resistance: Fall of Man, Oblivion.

Computer: AMD 3000+, 2 gigs ram, Radeon 9600 pro (if I can remember....I haven't used my pc for a while for gaming, since I can't afford a new one).

LOTS OF GAMES....from the original Star Wars Dark Forces....to my newest game, Galactic Civilizations 2 (which I love).

I've also had the NES, SNES, and Genesis. Still have my genesis in storage.

[Occulus]

57. Then I would say you get your Gamer Card.

:D

[Evoman]

61. But I'm not overweight, single, sad or 34!

[MattBaggins]

65. Name my gear

3 piece Conqueror / 3 piece Dark Promise.I have a full set of Invaders but only equipped them for the wards and then banked them. Invaders stats are worthless for healers. I have a few pieces of Warlords but can't equip them yet. Don't feel like doing the PvE grind for Tyrant's gear but the set bonuses aren't as good as the conq/dp combo anyway.

Oh wait that's not what you meant.

[Trillo]

29. Anyone ever wonder about how frequently the populace at large, or a smaller subset of it, is labeled

as "depressed", while the economy seldom, if ever, seems to be characterized thusly, even when all evidence seems to say otherwise?

[MilesColtrane]

31. Hmm...that depression wouldn't have anything to do with living in an area...

...that's sunless and overcast almost 2/3rds of the time, would it?

[Hannah Bell]

37. you apparently don't live here.

[MilesColtrane]

39. OK....you're right.

It's only overcast 60% of the time.

You got me, comrade.

[Hannah Bell]

40. it's not. but keep saying so, maybe no one else will move here.

[MilesColtrane]

41. Whatever.

http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/cldy.html

[Hannah Bell]

43. and this locale in micronesia is "cloudy" 276 d/yr, beating seattle by about 50 days.

http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/kwa/

it's "cloudy" 197/d/yr in hilo, hawaii, about 25 d less than seattle.

guam = 215 days of "cloudy".

i guess that's why they're so depressed.

it was 80 here today, & has been near straight sunshine with maybe one week of rain since may.

may through october, typically nice, november - april, variable to depressing.

i live 30 minutes out of olympia, supposedly with more "cloudy" days than seattle.

tennessee wins the depression prize currently.

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/report-says-state-has-highest-depression-rate-us

or, by another bullshit media measure:

#1 = portland ore (unemployment currently over 11%)
2 = st louis (unemployment)
3 = new orleans (pretty sunny there, i hear)
4 = detroit (think poverty & 25% unemployment could have something to do with it?)
5 = cleveland, oh (more unemployment)
6 = jacksonville, florida (lots of sun there...)
7 = las vegas, nv (more sunshine)
8 = nashville, tn
9 = cincinatti
10 = atlanta, ga (sun)

seattle doesn't crack the top ten.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/02/0226_miserable_cities/11.htm

so "whatever" yourself.

[MilesColtrane]

52. Glad to see that you admit that you were wrong about your own weather.

Perhaps you will understand if I don't take your assessment of the general mental health of those in your area as fact.

Divining your neighbor's internal disposition isn't quite as easy as say, looking up to see if the sun is out.

[Hannah Bell]

53. i'm not wrong about my own weather, the weather i've lived with since i was born.

you're wrong about what "cloudy" means. also about where the most depressed people live.

[Chisox08]

32. New from the makers of fukitol and viagra

Gamerout!
Are you overweight, 35, aggressive and introverted? Well we have the the drug for you Gamerout! So put your games down and take off your Snugwow and get to your doctor (If you have insurance.) and ask for Gamerout.
Side affects: Nausea, heartburn dizziness, shortness of breath, death, mild skin rash, death, vomiting, death, insomnia, death, blurred vision, male pregnancy and did we mention death.
Users of Gamerout should not sit, stand, be exposed to sunlight. Nor should it be taken be women who are pregnant or who can become pregnant.

[paulsby]

34. perfectly satirized by South Park

last year (or was it the year before) in their "Make Love not Warcraft" episode.

[tkmorris]

38. Wrong. I'm 44

And yeah, I owned an honest to Gawd Pong system, the one that had four games total, all of which involved bouncing a blob of light back and forth. I even upgraded later to the one that had a "skeet" shooting attachment, a gun which you could point at the ceiling, your sister, the dog, or your Mom and still be scored as a hit. I had a handheld Mattel electronic "football" game that had me controlling a red blip and trying to maneuver it past a cadre of other red blips.

I have owned an Atari 2600, the 5200, an Intellivision, the original Nintendo, the Super Nintendo, an original Playstation, an Xbox, the Xbox 360, the Wii, and more computers than you could shake a Wiimote at. I have also dumped a completely obscene number of quarters into Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Centipede, and assorted other arcade machines over the years. And pinball, oh man, pinball.

Oh and by the way I have read a shit TON of books as well. In fact it occurs to me that if one studied the lives of those who read the most one is likely to reach the same conclusions these researchers did, namely that those who do so are less social than those who don't. Well, duh. I hope they didn't get paid too much to come to that conclusion. The thing that they don't seem to see is that these are people who by nature don't gravitate to extremely social activities to occupy their free time. That is a CHOICE they make; it isn't caused by the books they read, the games they play, the TV they watch, or anything else they choose to do. Some people find playing Crisis or WoW to be more interesting than attending cocktail parties or the club. Such is life.

[boppers]

42. Having played tons of games and then crap like WoW...

WoW is not for thinkers. It's for clickers, folks who want satisfaction fast, super easy, and without thinking.

It's basically for Angband players who wanted a better GUI. No thought, just a click every so often.

[comtec]

46. I like FF online

I played WoW for a while to social with my friends...but I find it too simple.
I started my mmo-addictions with Final Fantasy XI (online).
I have it for the pc and my ps2.
I used to play with my friends back in the US and my wife (she played the PS2 version as her computer at the time wasn't beefy enuf, and the TV has a bigger screen lol)

I'm 34, fat, married, and somewhere in the middle.

I don't really play mmo's not simply because I don't have the time. I'm not going to pay monthly for a game I can only really play 2 days a week.

but oh well. People will always look for people to attack. My generation and type being the favorite target.

[boppers]

48. Turn based online RPG?

Dude, I'd drag you out just to see the world changing.

It's pretty.

[comtec]

50. LOL no! FF ONLINE

it was the first real-time rpg to really make it big.
monsters aren't random, they're all around you, and they attack or ignore you partially based on your level and other such.
the monsters have AI's and were doing that before WoW and other MMOs were out there, or thought about it.

Also the graphics are still breathtakingly beautiful. It was a top-spec game when it came out, and can still give other new mmo's a run for their money beauty wise.

Like in so many other times, FF created a new way of going about things online.

[DireStrike]

59. You mean FFXI?

I hear they have a great community as well.

Trying to find an RP clan even on a RP wow server is hair-pullingly difficult.

[Mystayya]

91. Wow is more of a social game.

[Politicalboi]

44. I'm a 48 year old gamer

Who is female and not overweight or sad. I've been playing since Atari. And once Playstation and Doom came around I have been hooked on first person shooters ever since. I just got done playing Call of Duty. I love playing Counter-Strike. I would never own a gun myself, but I love playing videos with them.

[rebecca_herman]

45. I lost weight when I started playing World of Warcraft...

go figure

I guess I'm less tempted to go downstairs for a snack when I'm busy with the game!

btw I'm female, and in the lower half of the weight range considered healthy for my height/body type.

They say more gamers are less socially outgoing - have they ever realized that maybe because they are less socially outgoing, they are more likely to enjoy a more solitary activity (gaming), rather than the games being the reason they aren't socially outgoing? I know that's it for me - I really don't like social gatherings like parties/bars/clubs. I'd rather stay home curled up with a good book or playing a computer game.

[krabigirl]

71. Same here. I hate that it's only acceptable to be an extrovert. Bunch of BS.

[wuvuj]

74. The social rats...

...seem to be the ones that get into the positions where they can make the rules? Being overly social is an addiction....causing a form of hyperactivity? There ought to be a drug for people who socialize too much.

[SidDithers]

75. Yup. I'm the same....

I'm frighteningly shy in groups of people that I don't know well. But I love quiet time, whether with a book, or blasting zombies in Left 4 Dead.

Sid

[Johonny]

92. I save money too

I'm not overweight, made tons of friends from around the world and got a girlfriend. So I guess the report it dead on accurate. Just more BS from a generation that doesn't game.

[verdalaven]

49. My husband's philosophy

(he is a 50 yr old WOW gamer) is playing WOW is better than spending a couple hours after work unwinding on the couch in front of the tube every day, channel surfing.

fwiw, I hate that f*****g game. At least when television got boring, he'd get off his ass and do something. WOW just never gets boring.

[krabigirl]

72. Meh, TV is so much more mind-numbing. Then again, I grew up on games.

The only thing I like on TV is movies. DH can watch it for hours on end, while I go insane. and yes, WOW can be very, verrry boring.

[western mass]

51. Re-education camps for researchers and journalists

I propose journalists and researchers alike be sent to re-education camps to teach them the most basic of statistical lessons: correlation doesn't equal causation. Although many of them understand this but just don't give a damn if it makes a sexy headline / journal article.

Preferred meme: oh no bad video games!

Alternative hypothesis: people who are overweight, aggressive, introverted and depressed tend to prefer video games to Salsa night at the club.

Yes, you can say "they controlled for other factors". I take this with a huge grain of salt unless I can read exactly what was controlled for.

[DireStrike]

60. Thank you

I think this should be on the front page of every newspaper, news website, and forum every day. Even here.

[LanternWaste]

55. The new Opiate of the Masses...

The new Opiate of the Masses...

Move over television. Make way, religion... PC games can suck in even the most disciplined of us. :evilgrin:

[Veruca Salt]

105. My magnum opus is a religion based on gaming...

I'll probably never finish it but if I do, I'm totally going to take over the world. :)

[KG]

56. i am NOT sad, dammit!!1!!

:P

[Warren DeMontague]

58. That's funny. I was in way worse shape when my main recreational activity was hanging out in bars.

Isn't that what reporters like to do?

[MattBaggins]

62. Less QQ --- More Pew Pew

40 year old PvPer. Make your opponent rage log. That's what gaming is about.

[Jennicut]

67. Oh Gen X, what has happened to us?

Just kidding.

[jannyk]

68. 57, female and a 'gamer' here....

...started in the good old days of text adventures on an Apple IIc (no hard drive - anyone remember 'floppy copy'?)

Have hundreds of them in my archive - play them mostly when we go down to Baja for 3 months at a time (no tv or phones).

I Still buy classy 'Adventure' games - there's usually a handful released each year - but will not touch any with 'Action' in the spiel.

So yes, we do exist, and no, we are not all overweight!

[XemaSab]

81. You don't have that here.

n/t

[jannyk]

83. What? What is it don't I have here?

[krabigirl]

69. I love games, and yah, I'm 36, female, but not sad nor overweight. I exercise a lot. ro

I am a mom of two toddlers and my husband often works at night. TV is boring to me so I either read or play games. It's relaxing for me, and social too since I can't go out at night with the kids in bed by 8.

[SidDithers]

73. Leeeeerrroyy Jennnnnnkiinnnnnss!...nt

Sid

[sudopod]

76. OH NO

SOMEONE SOMEWHERE MIGHT BE HAVING FUN!!!11111oneoneone

[blueamy66]

77. I don't know about others...

but I am sick to death of hearing about a co-worker's raid the night before. Um, I don't care.

And I also don't care that your boyfriend is depressed because he is getting bored with his latest game of choice.

And please stop talking to me in computer/gamer speak. You are 36 years old....act your age.

Sorry if I offend, but I just do not get it...just don't.

[SidDithers]

78. Yeah. And those fuckers who are baseball fans...

they piss me off too.

Sid

[distantearlywarning]

80. Yeah, what a bunch of pathetic losers.

Spend their time watching other people chase a ball around a field instead of doing something productive themselves. What a waste of a life. Don't they realize that that sort of thing is only for kids? Newsflash: it's not Little League season and you're not twelve anymore, baseball fans. Grow up and get some real hobbies!

[blueamy66]

89. See my response to the one that called me a fucker...

What's with the anger dudes?

[distantearlywarning]

108. LOL!

And those damn baseball fans have no sense of humor either.

[blueamy66]

111. Not one who is a DBack fan.

:D

[blueamy66]

88. And that's fine with me.

But at least I speak proper English and don't bore others with my interest(s).

Baseball fans really piss you off? So much so that the word "fucker" was necessary? Wow.

[SidDithers]

97. That wooshing sound?...

That was my point flying right over your head.

And yes, I think that "fuckers" was an entirely appropriate term for the judgemental fucks in this thread who can't understand that different people have different interests.

Sid

[blueamy66]

99. Thanks Sid.

You're a stand up kinda guy.

Hope you keep your anger confined to war games and not the real world.

[Ignis]

106. Just to restore your faith in humanity.

Some of us got it. And then we :rofl:'d.

[SidDithers]

110. Thanks, Ignis...

:hi:

Sid

[Lorien]

104. You're not alone there. nt

[galledgoblin]

82. WoW: Cataclysm

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/

WoW Third Expansion: Cataclysm

An ancient evil lies dormant within Deepholm, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane.

Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire.

Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deepholm will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.


aww, yeah. my vices make me smile. :D

[mamaleah]

86. My husband has made me look at that 100 times.

Maybe they'll open Gilneas.

[Mystayya]

93. AND you will be able to play a GOBLIN !

[TCJ70]

107. That. Is. Awesome.

I just had to cancel my account for a bit, but once I get my stuff together I'll be back. Deathwing is a long awaited lore item!

I'm such a nerd...NERDRAGE!

[galledgoblin]

109. nerdrage? surely you mean

NERDGASM!!

[TrogL]

84. When I was growing up, these people were "couch potatoes"

...staring at the TV. They've merely changed mediums.

[Forkboy]

102. Only tv is totally passive, where games are anything but.

TV requires zero input. It will finish without you. See how far you get in a game staring at the controller.

[aroach]

85. Just described my husband to a tee...

I've been ready to divorce him over his WoW addiction.

[Mystayya]

94. Addictions are a scary thing.

It might take you throwing him out for a while for him to see how low he has sunk. I've seen alot of relationships fail or students flunk out of college in my ten years of online gaming. For a while I think even I teetered on the edge of addiction while I battled a deep depression. For me the gaming didn't cause the depression, but it was a good way to hide away and cope with the pain I was in. As the pain faded so did my need to play obsessively. Now I play a few nights a week, with some real life friends and don't think twice about it if I go days or weeks without playing.

[DainBramaged]

95. Bullshit, I'm 58, 6', 225 LBS and happy as a clam.......

And I walk about 3 miles a day..........

[Johonny]

98. 35-year-old man who is overweight, aggressive, introverted — and often depressed

So you're average American then. Go figure gamers are like everyone else.

[Blue_Tires]

112. +10000

[Divine Discontent]

113. "the average gamer is 35" oh puh-lease

when there's tens of millions of teens who play xbox360, Wii, and PS3, the average gamer isn't going to be 35! I had to comment and say I read nothing further because of the obvious idiocy of the report by the CDC. I go to into GameStop infrequently, I'm one of the only adults in there when I visit - it's usually packed with 15 kids and 2 or 3 adults.

I know dozens of people my age who are way too busy to play games, I do, but not a 'gamer', by any means.

Their 552 people surveyed sounds like a misrepresentation of who actually would be called a 'gamer'. Just because grandma & grandpa play a few times a month with the Wii their kids bought them for Christmas doesn't mean they're 'gamers'.