Video gamers have never been known for having good diets. The last thing on a gamer’s mind is what to eat when in a long session of game time.

It’s no surprise gamers have the stigma of eating nothing but junk food and sugar-filled drinks.

However, this is only true to a certain extent. Gamers do dabble in food that isn’t healthy but not at the numbers advertised in a harmful stereotype.

One of the worst portrayals of the gamer’s diet is from an episode of “South Park” titled “Make Love, Not Warcraft.”

It involved the four main kids dedicating their lives to being the best in a video game. Throughout the journey, they added rolls of fat to their bodies and became littered with pimples from greasy junk food and energy drinks.

In one scene, a character calls for his mother to bring them Hot Pockets so they don’t have to stop playing.

Even though it’s a funny representation, it’s wrong.

I’ll concede energy drinks are what gamers consume during a session. It’s easy to just drink when playing; it doesn’t stop the action at all. It also makes sense so a gamer can stay up during multiplayer action or not get tired on a long quest in a single player game.

Another drink for gamers older than 21 years old is beer. It’s mostly cheap and serves as a great medium for getting into the right mood. Unfortunately, it does lead to the dreaded beer belly. But for some, it’s a small price to pay.

It’s true many gamers eat junk food during a gaming session. Chips, Hot Pockets, candy and beef jerky are all foods easily consumed while playing. The most action required is turning on the microwave.

Fast food is something gamers divulge in as well when playing. A favorite among gamers is Jack in the Box tacos. Tacos are cheap, can be bought in bulk and consumed hastily.

Now this is where the stereotype of what and how gamers eat gets out of control. 

The generalization is when gamers are engaged in a game they sit for hours on end and eat large amounts of food. It leads to an unhealthy lifestyle leading to an overweight person with limited mobility.

This is a harsh description, but most non-gamers think like this because of society’s stereotype. 

It’s a bad assumption and a wrong one. 

The reality is most gamers don’t eat when they play, and when they do eat, it’s a limited amount. During a gaming session, there isn’t time to bother with eating and when hunger comes, taking a break from playing is easier.

Sure, Doritos and other finger foods are easy to snack on while gaming. But when big hunger comes, 25-plus Sac State gamers agreed taking a break to eat is the way to go.

There are a few who don’t and dedicate endless hours to games and eat atrocious amounts of junk food. The worst part is these gamers are the ones who get the most attention, giving a bad reputation for the majority who don’t. 

The important thing is the majority of gamers know they don’t stuff themselves when eating and are fine with that.

It’s a bad stereotype, but gamers have learned to live with it. Instead of getting angry with what people think, gamers enjoy playing and eat when and what they want without a care.

It’s always good to eat healthy and many gamers do. So with peace of mind in that, people can think all they want about the eating habits of gamers.