Playing video games for more than 10 hours a week could have a significant impact on young people's diet, sleep and body weight, according to a new study.
The research, published in the journal Nutrition, suggests that while casual or moderate gaming appears largely harmless for young people, health outcomes worsen sharply once gaming time crosses a critical threshold.
Researchers from Curtin University -- in Perth, Australia -- surveyed 317 students, with a median age of 20, from five Australian universities.
Participants were divided into groups based on how many hours per week they reported playing video games. The three categories were "low gamers" (zero to five hours), "moderate gamers" (five to 10 hours) and "high gamers" (more than 10 hours).
The team found little difference between low and moderate gamers when it came to diet quality, sleep and body weight.
However, students who played video games for more than 10 hours a week stood out for having noticeably poorer health outcomes.
"What stood out was students gaming up to 10 hours a week all looked very similar in terms of diet, sleep and body weight," said paper author and population health researcher professor Mario Siervo in a statement.
"The real differences emerged in those gaming more than 10 hours a week, who showed clear divergence from the rest of the sample."
Diet quality declined significantly among high gamers, who were also more likely to be classified as obese. The study found that high gamers had a median body mass index (BMI) of 26.3 kg/m² -- above the threshold for overweight -- compared with BMIs of 22.2 kg/m² and 22.8 kg/m² for low and moderate gamers, both of which fall within the healthy range.
According to the researchers, each additional hour spent gaming per week was associated with a measurable decline in diet quality, even after accounting for other factors such as stress levels, physical activity and lifestyle habits.
"Each additional hour of gaming per week was linked to a decline in diet quality, even after accounting for stress, physical activity and other lifestyle factors," Siervo said.
Sleep quality was generally poor across all participants, but moderate and high gamers reported worse sleep than low gamers. The analysis showed a significant link between longer gaming hours and sleep disruption, particularly when gaming extended late into the night.
While the study did not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the researchers said that the patterns were concerning.
The authors also clarified that gaming itself is not necessarily harmful and may even offer social or cognitive benefits. Instead, the problem appears to arise when gaming becomes excessive and displaces other healthy routines, such as regular physical activity, balanced meals and adequate sleep.
"Our data suggests low and moderate gaming is generally fine, but excessive gaming may crowd out healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet, sleeping properly and staying active," Siervo said.
Researchers suggested that simple changes -- such as taking regular breaks, avoiding gaming late at night and choosing healthier snacks -- could help mitigate potential health risks.
Newsweek has reached out to Curtin University via email for comment.