A study done by the University of Essex in the United Kingdom tested elite online gamers to see how they compared to professional athletes and if gaming qualified as an athletic sport. They found that the gamers had the mental traits of sportsmen, nearly the reaction time of jet fighter pilots and the competitiveness of athletes. However, their physical health and fitness levels were far below actual athletes.

The sedentary lifestyle of these online games competitors leads to very poor health. One study participant had the lungs and aerobic fitness of a 60-year-old chain-smoker, even though he looked fit. Researchers fear that this kind of inactivity could contribute to rising childhood obesity levels ("Computer Gamers 'Have Reactions of Pilots but Bodies of Chain Smokers,'" Telegraph.co.uk, June 7, 2010).