Using mobile phones in meals is becoming a popular habit but also raising many concerns about the health effects, especially the risk of increased insulin resistance, which is a factor related to diabetes and metabolic disorders.
Regarding this, Dr. Manjusha Agarwal, an internist at Gleneagles Parel Mumbai Hospital (India), said that using a phone while eating can easily lead to loss of concentration.
"People are not sure if this habit causes insulin resistance, but when people are distracted, they often eat unconsciously, can consume more calories than they need, leading to weight gain, which is a factor that increases the risk of insulin resistance," explains Manjusha Agarwal.
In addition, people who lose concentration while eating may not pay attention to the quality of food, choose processed foods with few nutrients, causing sudden increases in blood sugar levels.
According to Agarwal, these spikes in sugar over time can lead to insulin resistance. At the same time, loss of awareness of the signal of fullness makes it difficult for people to control their portion sizes, weakening nutritional balance.
However, there is currently no specific scientific research that directly proves the link between phone use during meals and insulin resistance.
We should avoid distractions like phones or TVs to eat mindfully, focus on meals, help control food intake better, and support long-term metabolic health, emphasizes Dr. Agarwal.
The concept of "eating mindfully" is emphasized by nutritionist Kanikka Malhotra, a diabetes educator in India, as an effective approach.
Mindful eating means focusing completely on experiencing meals, eating slowly, paying attention to the feeling of fullness and choosing foods with awareness.
Eating quickly or without realizing it can cause spikes in blood sugar levels, which increases the risk of insulin resistance, especially for people at risk of type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, says Malhotra.
To improve your eating habits, Ms. Malhotra recommends strategies such as putting your phone aside, spending time enjoying the taste and texture of the dish, paying attention to hunger and satiety signals, expressing gratitude before meals, and focusing on conversations while eating with others instead of using your phone.
Including mindful diet into your daily routine is a powerful tool to help improve both food relationships and metabolic health, says Malhotra.
