Medical expert of the article
New publications
Virtual communication is the main cause of obesity
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Recently, experts from Ireland have conducted several studies and concluded that there is a relationship between excess weight and frequent exposure to social networks. As it turned out, people who are addicted to online life are more prone to obesity.
Irish specialists conducted a sociological survey, according to the results of which conclusions were drawn. Most of the respondents were students who represent the main target audience of social networks. Scientists have found out that on average, a modern average person spends at least one hour a day on virtual communication, while the rest spent on the World Wide Web was not taken into account.
According to scientists, a bad physical shape is associated with frequent sitting at the computer and long communication in the network. Also, people who prefer virtual communication to the real do not like team games and spend all their free time on the Internet.
Previous studies have shown that people who like to communicate virtually have a high level of self-esteem, while self-monitoring is almost non-existent. All this indicates that such people often snack on unhealthy foods, often right during communication with friends and family. This is what is the main cause of obesity, and not a sedentary lifestyle, experts from Pittsburgh and Colombia believe.
Recent studies in Russia have shown that about 80% of citizens spend most of their time at the computer, watching movies, TV shows, reading news or communicating with friends. And most of the respondents noted that they are in the "online" day, which allows many modern gadgets to always be in touch with friends. Interesting was the fact that virtual communication is preferred not only by young people, but also by older people. Many said that they spend time at the computer, while deliberately refusing to do simple household affairs, studying or meeting friends. People over 45 years old confessed that they began spending much more time at the computer recently, while refusing to read interesting books. Experts believe that this primarily affects the intellectual development of citizens.
In turn, physicians said that obesity not only spoils the appearance of a person, but also causes many serious illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and oncological neoplasms.
Currently in developing countries, more than a billion people who are obese (not counting children and adolescents). In comparison with 1980, the number of complete people on the planet has increased three-fold. Experts note that in the next few decades the number of diabetes mellitus diseases, strokes, and heart attacks will increase. Scientists are sure that this problem should be solved at the governmental level and now it is necessary to start working with the population and to conduct companies directed against obesity, similar to those that are conducted in Denmark or South Korea.