Have you heard the buzz about smart phones? People who use their cells the most have lower fitness levels than those who use them less often, according to a new report from Kent State University. But before you read that as, “Cell phones make you fat,” let’s make sure you know all the details.
The data was collected from 49 college students who averaged nearly 7 hours of cell phone use a day. That’s right: 7 hours a day! Both male and female students averaged just over 5 calls a day, and the men sent 133 texts while the women sent 305.
This either sounds familiar (hope you’re enjoying university!), or it sounds completely ridiciulous (welcome to the real world, working stiff!).
Regardless, the link to lower fitness levels is there: Those who used the phone the most had greater body fat percentages, and scored lower on tests of aerobic capacity. “We found that as phone use went up, fitness went down. And vice versa,” says study author Jacob Barkley, Ph.D..
Of course, this correlation is also seen in folks who spend lots of time watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the Internet. All of which you can now do on your phone.
Interestingly, when the researchers categorized the students into low, moderate, and high-frequency users, the “low-use” group still averaged over 90 minutes of cell phone activity per day, while the high-use group logged a whopping 14 hours.
We’re pretty sure that 14 hours—and heck, maybe even 90 minutes—is far more time than any person should be using a phone for entertainment on an average day. (And besides, what about battery power?)
The heaviest cell phone users admitted that their devices often disrupt their physical activity with sedentary activities such as gaming, texting, checking Facebook and Twitter, and playing with new apps. You don’t say!
The bottom line: The study findings probably don’t closely apply to those of us who have full-time jobs, family responsibilities, or well, serious ambition. After all, where would we find the time for all that smart phone fun? But this much is clear: If you qualify for this study’s definition of a heavy cell phone user, don’t be surprised if you become a heavy cell phone user.
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