Wrapping up mental health awareness month, DC Metro Area Dietitian Kay Loughrey explores the positive impact of digital detox on both mental health and weight loss. In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of constant scrolling through social media, validation seeking, and comparing ourselves to others. Unfortunately, this is an unhealthy behavior that not only takes a toll on our self-worth but can also hinder your weight loss goals. Keep reading as we delve into the practice of disconnecting from our digital devices and provide you with information to help your successful digital detox.
It might be tricky to see the connection between digital addiction and weight loss. The key to understanding this is linking screen time to our mental health, which subsequently impacts many aspects of physical health and is crucial to losing weight.
Studies analyzing the link between screen time and psychological well-being found that individuals with excessive screen media activity were more likely to have poor mental health and develop psychiatric symptoms such as sensitivity, anxiety, and depression. Out of the 88% of Americans that use the internet, 6% have an internet addiction. Unfortunately, this is an approximate 18 million individuals, who could potentially be harming their mental health or suffering from mental health issues due to their screen time habits.
More specifically, the content we consume on the internet, in particular, social media can be extremely damaging to our body image and self-esteem. The type of images we see on social media make it impossible not to compare ourselves to others, even subconsciously. On top of that, the internet is flooded with misinformation about how to be healthy, which makes it extremely hard to maintain confidence in your lifestyle choices. As a result, many people fall into the trap of following internet advice and trying out unhealthy diet trends that end up undoing their progress in health and weight loss. Unfollowing certain accounts or even deleting social media can be difficult, but is often the prudent thing to do for the sake of our self-worth and sanity.
Aside from its influence on mental health, digital addiction interferes with our eating habits from a practical standpoint. Everyone loves to have a snack while watching TV, but using a screen is detrimental to healthy eating choices and patterns. The internet is a huge distraction from our hunger and satiety cues and can lead to lack of portion control, binge eating, or even forgetting to eat, which is equally as harmful. Excessive screen time is also associated with unhealthy eating habits such as a low intake of fruits and veggies, a higher intake of fast foods and snacks, and an overall higher caloric intake. Not to mention, it is harmful to our sleep quality and schedule! Given this, all signs point to the fact that unrestricted screen use messes with our routine when it comes to food, ultimately hindering weight loss progress.
By breaking free from addictive scrolling habits, we can rediscover our self-worth, create a healthier relationship with ourselves and build habits that facilitate a healthy diet, ultimately leading to improved mental well-being and enhanced weight loss efforts. Don’t be afraid to embark on a digital-free journey because embracing the power of disconnecting will lead you to a happier and healthier life.
Resources:
Alavi SS, Maracy MR, Jannatifard F, Eslami M. The effect of psychiatric symptoms on the internet addiction disorder in Isfahan’s University students. J Res Med Sci. 2011;16(6):793-800.
Twenge JM, Campbell WK. Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Prev Med Rep. 2018;12:271-283. Published 2018 Oct 18. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003
Yale School of Medicine. Yale Study Probes Connection Between Excessive Screen Media Activity and Mental Health Problems in Youth. Yale School of Medicine News. March 21, 2023. Available at: https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/yale-study-probes-connection-between-excessive-screen-media-activity-and-mental-health-problems-in-youth/.
Mental Health America. Risky Business: Internet Addiction. Mental Health America.. Available at: https://www.mhanational.org/risky-business-internet-addiction.
Kamaleddine AN, Antar HA, Ali BTA, et al. Effect of Screen Time on Physical and Mental Health and Eating Habits During COVID-19 Lockdown in Lebanon. Psychiatry Investig. 2022;19(3):220-228. doi:10.30773/pi.2021.0239
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
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