A recent study from researchers in Australia found a link between high-speed internet and an increase in the country's obesity problem. Researchers from the University of Melbourne, RMIT University and Monash University say that for every 1% increase in the use of the national broadband network, obesity rates increase by 6.6% with BMI increasing by 1.57 kg/m2.
High-speed Internet causes users' lives to become increasingly sedentary. Obesity occurs because they no longer meet the minimum physical activity requirements recommended by the WHO. The longer a person spends online, the lower their metabolic rate will be. They were also found to practice a diet of unhealthy snacks all the time using the computer.
The activity of visiting relatives or shopping is also reduced due to the use of social media and purchases through e-commerce platforms. The study data is taken from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, covering the period 2006-2019. The study was published in the journal Economics & Human Biology.