What Smartphones and Hemorrhoids Have in Common

Julie Wendt
Woman in the bathroom wearing white and grey towel with stripes on her cellphone
The Uncomfortable Association with Excessive Smartphone Usage Among Teens and Young Adults and The Increase in Hemorrhoids Surgery.

Research suggests that young adults who use their cell phones for more than 5 hours a day are more likely to make poor food choices than those who use it fewer. College Student’s who used their smartphones or other portable screen devices were twice as likely to consume sugary drinks and forgo physical activity according to a study.

Physical activity is considered any body movement that requires your muscles to stay active. This could be as simple as walking the dog or mowing the lawn. So why does any of these things matter?

Current health risks linked to a sedentary lifestyle:

  • Osteoporosis
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Weight Gain

So what’s the problem? Isn’t the smartphone just the new television? Most will argue that humans have always found enjoyment in some form of entertainment. So what make the smartphone any more alarming?

Our ancestors engaged in leisure time as well, but they also engaged in more physical activity during the day than we currently do. The physical activity prevented mentioned diseases. The smartphone adds additional hours and bad habits to our already sedentary lifestyle.

According to some experts, smartphone usage can significantly change people’s lifestyle and health habits. A study reported that those who spent up to 14 hours on their cell phone daily, were less fit than participants who only averaged about 1.5 hours of use.

Nancy Copperman, an assistant Vice President at Northwell Health, believes heavy cell phone use can create mindless eating, much as television does. Binge Eating is described as eating a lot of food in a short amount of time on a regular basis. Daily excessive cell phone use may lead to binge eating disorder (BED). Two-thirds of those with BED are found to be obese, but it’s not a disease that is exclusive to obese people. Individuals who are normal in size can suffer from binge eating as well.

Just an hour, watching your favorite sports team could lead to over indulging on empty calories. If you include smartphone usage during the game, the lack of awareness that leads to binge eating increases.

  1. The total hours spent on the internet by adults was 5.6 hours a day.
  2. Forty-two percent of the usage came from desktop, and seven percent came from other devices that could include smart devices like tablets.
More Young People are Contracting ‘Old Age” Conditions Due to an Inactive Lifestyle

Young people in their 20’s and 30’s are being treated for conditions that mostly associated with old age. Other than knee pain and joint pain, the one that sticks out the most is hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins positioned around the anus or located inside the lower rectum.

Although experts aren’t 100 percent certain what causes hemorrhoids, they are some common factors that seem to induce them: chronic constipation, diarrhea, obesity, and straining during a bowel movement.

Constipation and obesity and two conditions that can be caused by binge eating.

Removal of hemorrhoids was one of the two most common procedures in the heart and circulatory disease category for 26 to 35 year-olds and 36 to 45 -year-olds.

“HEMORRHOID removal and treatment for varicose veins are procedures that people in this age group should not be encountering,” said Dr Steve Iley, Bupa’s medical director in a statement.

“However, when you consider the amount of time young people now spend sat using their mobiles and tablets, streaming box sets or playing with the latest games console, you can see why these conditions are rising in this age group.”

A Few Tips To Stay Honest

By giving yourself a break from your cell phone, you can drastically improve your health. It all starts with awareness. Put your cell phone away and live in the moment. Pick hours throughout the day where you will lower cell phone usage. Store snacks in the trunk of the car to prevent binge eating late night. Monitor the hours you’re on social media and keep a log. Finally, turn your phone on airplane mode while eating or catching up on your favorite shows.

Resources On Hemorrhoids

Mobile Marketing Statistics compilation

Tags: Binge eating disorder, Cardiovascular, Eating disorder, Osteoporosis, Smartphones, Weight, Weight gain, Wellness