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Health and obesity rates of different types of role-playing gamers? LARP, Computer-based, Tabletop.

by Hawke Robinson — published Jun 20, 2015 05:05 PM, last modified Feb 05, 2023 12:22 PM
Another variable to consider when researching different RPG medium participants (LARP, Computer-based, Tabletop) is the physical health and conditioning of role-playing gamers...
Health and obesity rates of different types of role-playing gamers? LARP, Computer-based, Tabletop.

There is already significant research about video game players tending to be significantly more sedentary and overweight (I read a study from Washington state detailing this last year, I'm attempting to find it, and will update this posting when I do find the research report), and tabletop gamers are stereotyped as generally either super skinny "pencil necks" or chubby to very heavy.

Is there extant any real research on tabletop RPGers and their weight in relation for example to the already obese average population of the USA, is there a significant statistical difference?

Are LARPers in the "best shape" due to the inherently active nature of the medium compared to the other two?

If no research currently exists, this should be a relatively easy correlative study to perform here, though causality will take longer, and would be useful whether differences from the general populace are found or not.

If differences are found, will need to establish causality over time.

If no significant difference is found from the general populace, then it would discount the stereotypes about role-playing gamers.

 

Hawke Robinson says:

Oct 24, 2012 02:40 PM
This _might_ be the study I was thinking of, but not certain yet: http://www.ajpmonline.org/[…]/abstract And it is noted here:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/[…]/ that the study only indicates a2 point difference in BMI, and it was very localized and Internet-based, so not a very strong study.... I thought there was something more recent and with better controls somewhere, I'll keep looking. This is currently a debated topic across the globe (studies in England and elsewhere contested).