According to researchers, regular users of the social network have a body mass index of 26, which indicates overweight and obesity.
Just 5 minutes, but often daily, spent on the social network Facebook can lead to the accumulation of extra pounds.
A study proving this thesis involved 470 people. Their health status and frequency of Facebook use was monitored by the research team.
The volunteers are divided into two groups. The first is set to rummage through social media, and the second is set to browse food and recipe websites. Both groups had 5 minutes to do so.
Afterwards, the volunteers were offered various desserts, sweet and low-calorie foods , muesli.
The results show that 30% of the volunteers in the second group chose unhealthy foods. The percentage of participants who used Facebook was 80.
According to the researchers, regular users of the social network have a body mass index (BMI) 26 compared to the rare visitors who have a BMI of 24.
BMIis calculated by dividing the weight by the height in meters squared - BMI = W / h2. Normal weight is considered when the index varies between 18.5 - 24.99. When its value is over 25, it means that you are overweight and obese. An index of 30 or more indicates obesity to varying degrees, from I to III.
Experts believe that self-monitoring and information about the risk of gaining weight can help reduce the risk of gaining weight .
If you want to eat, when surfing Facebook, experts advise to focus on fruits, nuts and plenty of fluids. They reduce appetite without affecting body weight.