Can cell-phones cause weight gain?
I-phones have been around for 10 years now. They have revolutionize our lives. Never before did we have the internet in our pocket and accessible at all times. Multiple articles have been written about people doing stupid things while being glued to their phone.
Is it possible that i-phones are the cause of weight gain? Think about it.
When counseling people concerning the need to increase exercise, they are advised to be aware of their amount of “screen-time”, which includes television viewing, computer games, movies, and even i-phones. Increased screen time means you are not up and moving around.
There are many many changes that have happened in our society in the past decade or two. Think back on how the life of your parents or grandparents was different. I bet your grandmother did not have to work outside the home plus she cooked most of their meals from scratch. I know when I was young, my mother and grandmother made extra money doing other people’s laundry at their homes. We felt lucky to eat out once a week. Most restaurants want you to really enjoy their food (as compared to their competitors), so they add extra sugar, salt and fat. If you are eating most of your meals out, you are getting those hidden calories. Are you beginning to understand the cause and effects of some of our cultural changes?
Other cultural changes include increased serving sizes. For example, the original cupcakes were about a third of the calories of the ones today. Many jokes have been made about super-sizing servings. But it is real and happening every day. Customers have demanded it therefore the food industry will provide it. For example – do you recognize “Grand biscuits” as normal size and the regular biscuits are too small? Have you looked at the difference in calories between the two sizes?
The internet in our pocket means quick fixes. Unfortunately with weight issues, there are no real results from quick fixes. Fad diets can sometimes result in in quick weight loss but it will not be maintained. To maintain weight loss, you need to change your daily habits. Chances are you are eating more calories on most days than you are burning up. One clinical sign of this is high triglycerides. If you require medication to control your triglycerides, you are eating more on most days than what you need, which will result in slow weight gain.
I believe many of our problems today stem from the changes in our society. You need to be willing to identify changes in your life that will result in a slow weight loss. This may include putting your i-phone down, increasing your activities and becoming aware of hidden calories.
My next blog will be about why fad diets don’t work in today’s world.
Watch for it!
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