Video Games Won't Make Your Kids Fat: Study

Playing video games might not make teenagers fat after all, but could affect their school grades, according to a new study.

Playing video games and Internet use will not be make kids fat, but could affect their grades, according to a new study.

Previous studies have revealed that playing video games and watching TV contribute to the rising rate of obesity than non-gamers.

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But researchers at the Michigan State University found that children who played more video games didn't suffer from obesity, had better visual-spatial skills, but suffered lower test scores and lower self-esteem, reports New Scientist.

They also found that children who use the Internet more often had better reading skills.

The researchers followed a group of 482 12-year-olds for three years and subjected the children and their parents to six major survey waves.

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During that time, the participants answered questions about video game playtime, Internet and cell phone use.

The researchers also took into account exam scores, height, weight, socio- economic and race factors, and measured the children's mathematical, visual, and reading skills.

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They found that video games were no more a factor in determining weight or body-mass-index (BMI) than Internet or mobile phone use.

Instead, they found the strongest predictors were race, age, and socio-economic status.

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The study is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Computers in Human Behaviour.

Source-ANI