Technological development is great for economic growth and increased productivity - but it's less great for the world's waistlines.
This is according to a new study, titled “Waistlines of the World”, by non-profit economic think tank Milken Institute. The study examined the link between the development of information and communication technologies and obesity in 27 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
“It is no coincidence that the four countries with the highest shares of ICT investment have four of the five highest obesity rates among OECD countries,” says the report.
According to the report, more than 200 million men and close to 300 million women are obese worldwide. All of the OECD member nations have witnessed greater prevalence of obesity in their populations over the past two decades, with the US topping the list.
In America, about one in three adults (33.8%) is obese, followed by Mexico (30%), New Zealand (26.5%), Australia (24.6%), and Canada (24.2%).
“In the past two decades, there has been a worldwide transition toward an 'information/knowledge-based society' that led to changes in work habits and lifestyle. As a side effect, people started consuming more calories than they expended, which resulted in weight gain and obesity,” says the report.
In quantifying the effect of the information/knowledge-based society on obesity, the report found that for every 10% increase in ICT investment (as a share of gross capital formation), the obesity rate climbs 1.4% on average. This translates to roughly 4.2 million people in a nation the size of the US.
“To reach that conclusion, we used the direct effect of less strenuous work and more sedentary home behaviours (1%), and the indirect effect of higher caloric consumption during screen-time activities (0.4%).”
The report states: “Technological innovations, more processed foods, a greater amount of “screen” time (watching TV, using computers, playing video games, etc), decreased energy expenditure, and/or higher consumption of snack foods have all played a role.
“The main culprit is the knowledge-based society. Employment patterns have shifted toward service-sector jobs that require long hours in front of a computer. Waistlines are growing, too. We used to be paid to exercise: It was called work.”
The report recommends a “multilevel, multicomponent intervention” to counter this trend - including physical activity programmes in schools and workplaces.
“Much is at stake. Adoption of ICT in emerging economies should be vigorously pursued because it is critical for boosting growth and incomes. A Luddite strategy is in nobody's best interest. However, if the world is going to avoid a huge increase in obesity, a devastating rise in chronic disease, and the associated human and economic costs, pre-emptive strikes are necessary,” says the report.
Share