Smartphones have made every single person hooked to the device and that's no news. Especially for the younger crowd, physical activity has become quite lesser than the other generations. And researchers have now found out that university students who use their smartphones for more than five hours or so have almost 43% more risk of obesity. Not just that, they even have a higher risk of heart disease due to this lifestyle.
Says Mirary Mantilla-Morron, the lead author of the study presented at the ACC Latin America conference, "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."
She continued to say, "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."
Analyzing about 1060 students of the Health Sciences Faculty at the Simon Bolivar University from the month of June to December last year, the study said that smartphones have risked about 700 women and 360 men. The average age being that of 19 years and 20 years respectively. The participating men were likely 36.1% likely to be overweight while 42.6% likely to be obese. When it came to women, 63.9% were to be overweight while 57.4% likely to be obese.
The risk of obesity increased by almost 43% if the smartphones were used for five or more hours. This also meant that students were consuming more of fast food, sugary drinks and random snacks which also decreased the amount of physical activity.
Mantilla-Morron concluded by saying, "The results of this study allow us to highlight one of the main causes of physical obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. 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."
