People who stay glued to their phone all day face a risk of getting really fat and suffering grim diseases.
That’s the warning from scientists who fear smartphone addiction is linked to a decrease in physical activity which could prove deadly for heavy users.
‘It is important that the general population know and be aware that, although mobile technology is undoubtedly attractive for its multiple purposes, portability, comfort, access to countless services, information and entertainment sources, it should also be used to improve habits and healthy behaviours,’ said Mirary Mantilla-Morrón, a cardiac pulmonary and vascular rehabilitation specialist at the Simón Bolívar University, Colombia, and lead author of a study exploring the effects of too much phone usage.
‘Spending too much time in front of the Smartphone facilitates sedentary behaviours, reduces the time of physical activity, which increases the risk of premature death, diabetes, heart disease, different types of cancer, osteoarticular discomfort and musculoskeletal symptoms.’
The study found that people who use smartphones for five or more hours a day ‘had a 43% increased risk of obesity and were more likely to have other lifestyle habits that increase the risk of heart disease’.
Researchers analyzed 1060 students from the Health Sciences Faculty at the Simón Bolívar University during June and December 2018.
The study group consisted of 700 women and 360 men with an average age of 19 years and 20 years respectively.
Researchers found the risk of obesity increased by 43% if a smartphone was used five or more hours a day, as participating students ‘were twice as likely to drink more sugary drinks, fast food, sweets, snacks and have decreased physical activity’.
Some 26% of the participants who were overweight and 4.6% were obese spent more than five hours using their device.
‘The results of this study allow us to highlight one of the main causes of physical obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” Mantilla-Morrón added.
‘We have also determined that the amount of time in which a person is exposed to the use of technologies–specifically prolonged cell phone use–is associated with the development of obesity.’
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