'Olympic syndrome' hits Beijing

2008-08-29 15:05

Beijing - Feelings of loss, worrying about work and generally feeling sluggish? Call it the Olympic Syndrome.

Many Chinese sports fans are suffering after spending much of August in front of their television sets watching the Beijing Olympics, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

It cited experts as saying that, since the Games ended on Sunday, many viewers were "feeling lost and prone to whining."

Lin Ye, a Shanghai-based psychological consultant, was quoted as saying sports fans were prone to depression after major international sports events, such as the Olympics, come to an end.

"TV viewers and their families shared fun and excitement so that their home atmosphere became better (and) they temporarily forgot about worries in their work," he said, according to Xinhua.

"When the Olympics ended on Sunday, they had to return to normal life and face the worries in their work, but often they were unable to adjust their mood so quickly."

He dubbed this phenomenon the "Olympic Syndrome", and said office workers and students were most vulnerable.

Getting more rest, participating in outdoor activities rather than watching them, and making more friends were three potential cures, according to Li and other experts cited by Xinhua.

Xinhua did not provide any figures for the extent of the problem.

- AFP