Part 3: 20 year health trends are directly correlated with technology explosion! - The Sabetha Herald
It’s incredible to think how radically life can change in 20 short years! In part one of this four-part discussion on the health trend changes in the last 20 years, we talked about how the prevalence and. . .
It’s incredible to think how radically life can change in 20 short years! In part one of this four-part discussion on the health trend changes in the last 20 years, we talked about how the prevalence and economic impact of cancer, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes have been steadily rising. Then, in part two, we focused on how much the philosophies regarding nutritional, fitness, and mental health recommendations have changed and improved in the last 20 years. These lifestyle recommendation changes are all much better than they were 20 years ago. So if this is the case, why are obesity rates continuing to grow? This will be the focus of part three. Of all of the significant changes in the last 20 years, I think we would be hard pressed to find anything that has changed quicker, or more radically than technology. It is truly amazing what has changed during this time. The improvements in technology have been so good for efficiency, productivity, and convenience that it is almost hard to comprehend. One practical example of this is farming. Technology has literally revolutionized the farming industry. These advances have dramatically improved yields, maximized productivity, and streamlined efficiency. Technology has made farming much more profitable and much less physically taxing on the body. A great trade off and definite win-win right? It is hard to argue with this logic. There is a cost to this convenience, however. Farmers (like most people) are now sitting more and moving less. And while we are talking about logic, if we are sitting more, moving less, sleeping less, and often eating food that is not conducive to good health, what do we think is inevitably going to happen to our bodies? This is one example of why obesity is continuing to increase despite better nutritional and fitness recommendations. The reality is we don’t have to physically work that hard anymore, and the natural tendency is to gravitate towards the path of least resistance. This scenario is not limited to farming. It is a very real challenge in every profession, in every walk of life. Technology has enabled us do most of our “work” and daily life from the convenience of our computer or smartphone. In fact, when it comes to each one of us, perhaps the single biggest technological change in the last 20 years is the cell phone, specifically the smartphone, and it has arguably had the biggest adverse effect on our health mentally, physically, and spiritually. In 2006, approximately 70 percent of Americans used a cell phone. Smartphones were just starting to come out at this time, and only 8 percent of people had one of these. Twenty years ago, we used our phones for less than 30 minutes per day, and their primary purpose was simple voice calls and basic text messaging. Today, 98 percent of Americans have a cell phone and 90 percent of these are smartphones. Daily usage has exploded to over five hours per day, and now, actual phone calls are infrequent. They have been replaced by instant messaging, social media feeds and video chats. Here are a few other somewhat disturbing current statistics:• Children, on average, get their first phones at 11 years old• On average, Americans check their phones 205 times a day• 60 percent of Americans use their phones on the toilet• 27 percent of Americans will text at stoplights• 26 percent of all automobile accidents involve cell phone usage• 57 percent of adults say they are addicted to their phones (43 percent must be lying:)• By 2027, there will be an estimated 7. 69 billion smartphone subscriptions worldwide, just 200 million shy of the current global population. I think it is safe to say this is a problem, but phones themselves are not the issue. We have established that technology has helped all of us. The issue is that most of us have a phone addiction problem, and we are not disciplined enough to put them out of sight and out of mind during the day. As long as they are present and available to us, the temptation is there to check it every time we hear a ping or vibration. Cell phone addiction and social media “bingeing” are very real problems that we did not have to worry about 20 years ago. We managed to survive 20 years ago without checking our phones 205 times a day and I’m pretty sure we can today too. We could all use a re-set and be better about utilizing technology when we need it, and not necessarily when we want it. Technology isn’t going away, and we are naïve if we think smartphones, technology, and artificial intelligence aren’t going to continue to evolve. While it’s important to stay current on its progress, it’s equally important that we stay disciplined in how we manage our time. This could mean trying to use our phones a few times a day (rather than a few hundred times) and prioritizing healthy nutrition and physical activity when it is much easier not to. Our health literally depends on this and we are all capable of better discipline. Next to our relationship with Christ and family, nothing is more valuable than our health!This column is paid for by Lukert Chiropractic.