Prolonged Gaming Blamed For Rickets Rise 254
superapecommando writes "Too many hours spent playing videogames indoors is contributing to a rise in rickets, according to a new study by doctors. Professor Simon Pearce and Dr Tim Cheetham of Newcastle University have written a paper in the British Medical Journal which warns of the rickets uptake – a disease which sufferers get when deficient in Vitamin D. The study boils down to the fact that as more people play videogames indoors they don't get enough sunlight and this has meant the hospitals are now having to combat a disease that was last in the papers around the time Queen Victoria was on the throne." At least the kids are eating enough snacks with iodized salt that we don't have to worry about goiters.
The kicker: (Score:5, Insightful)
If you spend so much time inside playing video games that you get a case of the rickets, you've got way more problems than just vitamin deficiency.
Re:Via Wikipedia (Score:5, Insightful)
, usually resulting from famine or starvation during the early stages of childhood.
And that's the real story: Parents who have turned their children over to the television, computer, and daycare centers of the world and neglecting basic nutrition. My sister is like that -- she is fed a diet of fast food and microwave meals because her parents can't be bothered to cook a meal (two income family). I don't think its intentional, people just assume there's no problem if it can't be seen.
and of course (Score:5, Insightful)
This has nothing to do with the media telling everyone that we shouldn't even risk a glimpse at the sunlight without a generous slathering with SPF 2 billion sunscreen and a hat.
Ugh (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Obvious Solution (Score:3, Insightful)
You're modded funny, but why not think about what activities could be moved outside? Video games may not be the best choice to do it with, but it's not a terrible idea to at least consider it. Now that I think about it, it might be nice to go sit under a tree with my laptop somewhere (if it weren't winter).
Really though, the bigger issue is that the majority of these cases are probably caused by poor diet more than (or at least as much as) lack of sun exposure.
Re:Via Wikipedia (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not sure why you threw daycare centers in there. Often they are much more strictly monitored than a child's home life and probably have prevented more of these cases than caused them.
Re:Milk? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Milk? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sources: blogs!
Vitamin D defiency and schooling too... (Score:3, Insightful)
Vitamin D in the human body is produced mostly by the effect of sunlight on the skin, which creates the version called vitamin D3 (which is the best version to supplement with, usually from fish oil in gelcaps).
Essentially, as people in industrialized countries have been spending more time indoors at home, work, or school, often at computer screens; and as people have been following well-meant advice from dermatologists to stay out of the sun; and as we all drive more instead of walk or bicycle; and as children are less allowed to roam freely outdoors through fears of stranger abductions or whatnot, we have ended up vitamin D deficient as a society. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with a variety of issues, including cancer, depression, diabetes, obesity, schizophrenia, autism, heart disease, tooth decay, asthma, allergies, osteoporosis, and even influenza. Ironically, vitamin D deficiency may be causing even more skin cancers in office workers, because being vitamin D deficient cripples some of the immune response that prevents cancer cells from getting out of control. Modern window glass has also been "improved" to let through less UV-B rays to prevent carpet fading; so now we have faded people instead. :-(
Consider that vitamin D deficiency is related to behavioral issues like depression that can manifest themselves in different ways in children. If kids misbehaves in school, they are often denied going outside at recess into the sunshine. If kids misbehave more, they are denied being outside all summer in the sunshine because they have to go to summer school. If they are really bad eventually, then kids get set to juvenile detention and then prison where they may be mostly indoors for years. Sadly, that is a negative spiral of vitamin D deficiency. Homeschoolers at least have the option of being outdoors more and getting more sunshine.
I wrote some on that connection here:
"ADHD or lack of Vitamin D? Albany Free School connection?"
http://listcultures.org/pipermail/p2presearch_listcultures.org/2009-October/005083.html [listcultures.org]
"I have no doubt such a play-based curriculum is a good thing and better than compulsory school for most kids. I love learner-directed education, where public schools would become more like public libraries. But, what if some of the magic with the kids labeled ADHD at the Albany Free School is that, instead of getting Ritalin, that kids who have been labeled are allowed to play outdoors in the sunlight a lot? Especially African American kids in that more northern area of the USA who will struggle more with getting enough Vitamin D at that lattitude? The Free School has an outdoor courtyard at the school kids can use when they want, and they allow kids to go to the nearby parks, plus they have some rural lands they go on field trips too."
Re:Via Wikipedia (Score:4, Insightful)
You really can't take care of a family [...] without dual incomes.
This is only true if you want to maintain your living standard as if you had no kids. Smaller car, no vacation, no restaurants, simple clothing etc. (i.e. how most people live in this world) would allow single income plus a 100% mother - just as a few decades ago. I am not saying that this is how it should be, just that the "want to have it all" is a definitive factor.
It's not gaming that's the problem (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Gaming? (Score:3, Insightful)
The problem is you can't blame just ONE item for it all though. A vitamin deficiency such as this reflects many bad lifestyle choices, not just gaming.
People CAN read books outside yes, but I know just as many shutins who prefer to read as I know shut ins who game obsessively.
I have, on many occaisons, seen someone gaming on their DS, PSP, Gameboy, etc while outside.
I haven't on any occaison, seen anyone play a board game while inside. Yet some people do so religiously every week.
Board games one night, Reading another, Television another, Gaming another. Thats more than 50% of your week which can be attributed to regular activities in moderation. Next thing you know its a snowy cloudy overcast, just like it is in Canada and England right now, so its too cold for any outdoor activities anyways. (Before you mention building snowmen, you can't do that in -30).
I blame Rickets Rise on a multitude of things.
Complete and utter bullshit. (Score:2, Insightful)
Rickets is caused by eating trash. Over generations. From being a baby (artificial milk) to growing old.
With what we eat, it’s a wonder, and proof of the robustness of nature, that we can still reproduce and survive!
I’ll make the following statement: >90% of what we eat nowadays, can’t be classified as “food” anymore.
Much less as species-appropriate.
It’s already known, that most so-called “age-related” diseases actually are coming with age, not because of age. Like hair loss, bad sight, blood pressure, multiple bone diseases, etc, etc, etc.
And by “known”, I mean studies over 30 years, with more than 30,000 patients.
(Most studies, which always go maybe a couple of years, can’t find anything because it’t a very long-term effect.)
So I blame bad food, until proven otherwise.