Average gamer is 35, obese & sad: Study

Video games might be regarded as an obsession for youngsters but in fact the average player is aged 35, overweight, introverted and may be depressed, according to a US study.

Researchers from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the behaviour of 552 adults aged between 19 to 90 from the Seattle-Tacoma area.

They found 249 of these, or around 45%, were video-game players, with men accounting for 56% of these.

The researchers found that the men who played video games weighed more and used the Internet more than other men.

Women who played video games reported greater levels of depression and poorer overall health than non-gamers with researcher James Weaver and his colleagues suggesting video gaming for adults may be a form of “digital self-medication.”

Adult video gamers also seemed less outgoing, or extroverted, and less social and assertive than non-gamers. They also relied more on the Internet for social support than non-gamers.