Rise in American Obesity Tied to Release of Pac-Man in 1980

The arcade game, in which a player must navigate a maze to consume all pills and food, while fleeing a set of ghosts forever changed Americans relation to eating.

"Pac-Man taught generations of children that there is no such thing as enough when it comes to food," said Dr. Whitney Parfell, professor of public medicine at UC Irvine. "Worse, it taught that the only way to confront your ghosts – clearly representing past trauma, shame and guilt – is to eat enough that the ghosts themselves become edible."

The game, long considered a classic, is now facing a reckoning as health experts grapple with its long term consequences.

Atari, the game's developer, declined to comment, noting only that Pac-Man has always promoted responsible consumption.