David Staniforth, whose son Chris died in May from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), says the condition may have been triggered by long gaming sessions.
This isn’t as out there as you might think – DVT can manifest itself if the person sits in one place for extended periods of time, especially if the person isn’t moving regularly, but is normally (wrongly) thought to only apply to long haul flights.
Mr Staniforth is campaigning for more coverage on the issue after a clot formed in his son’s leg, which moved to his lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism.
“After my research,” said the father, “I saw there was no difference to Chris sitting at a desk on his Xbox and someone on a long-haul flight. Sitting still is literally the danger zone. Chris loved to play and would stay up all night.”
“Millions of people worldwide are playing these games for hours,” he stated, “and there is a risk.”
Chris was an avid Xbox gamer. Microsoft have quickly moved to state that they recommend gamers take “periodic breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits.”
We all enjoy games, but be sensible and take regular breaks.
plutoniumdragon
Education is never A Bad Thing, it’s right that this should be bought to people’s attention. It’s up to them if they ignore it.
Personally I’m not comfortable sitting in/on a chair anyway so I’m always moving about, getting up whatever.
Plus I also have that distraction known as a wife :) :) But that’s a good thing – yes really :)
Mason_Mk
Same, i can’t go longer than 5 minutes without moving, just can’t get comfortable in my room whilst playing
DJ-Katy
While I can’t categorically say ‘what a load of shit’, let’s face it, we live in a society full of stupid people and as a result we get told more and more what we should and shouldn’t do.
I work in an office. Should I take breaks from sitting in my office chair every 15 minutes? No, of course I shouldn’t.
Is it smart to sit for hours without moving your leg muscles at all? No, of course it isn’t. You really should be getting up for food, bathroom and regular drinks at a minimum, whether you are playing games, watching a movie or working at a PC.
Do I think we should be worried about DVT from gaming? No, because millions of people do it and nobody ever died before, and billions more watch TV and work in sitting jobs, so I don’t need another case of “exception proving the rule” causing changes to games, the law or whatever that further nanny-fy us.
DVT risk is heightened in flight because of the cabin pressure. Some transatlantic flights I’ve been on have had you exercise every so often while the flight attendants give you guidance, but certainly not every 15 minutes. That is just moronic.