This topic came to me suddenly, or you can say it came by observation.
I went somewhere and had to wait for a while.
While sitting there, I noticed others were using their phones.
It’s the same everywhere; people just can’t stay away from screens, and they do that for hours while sitting and slouching.

That made me ask: what else is harming your health without you realizing it?

I came up with the top 3 things I see very commonly, and here they are.

Processed food is harming your health

Processed food deserves to be at the top of any health risk list.

Chips, cola, ready-to-eat meals, packaged foods, cereals, noodles, sauces, pizza, burgers, etc., all fall under processed food. These are not fresh and contain chemicals, flavoring agents, preservatives, and other additives that make them last longer.

Why are they popular? Well, the answer is simple: they’re designed to taste great. People love them because they require less effort and time, are easily available, and have an extended shelf life, meaning you can eat them whenever you like.

I don’t know about other countries, but in India, you can easily order food from almost any restaurant and get it delivered in no time. With clever and repetitive marketing, people end up ordering for convenience.

Infact, studies says that processed food contribute to majority of daily calorie intake.

Those who aren’t much into cooking invest more in processed food for the reasons mentioned above.

However, what these food items do to your health needs to be addressed:

Processed food can negatively affect your gut, heart, brain, and overall body function over time. You won’t realize it because of the temporary pleasure of taste.

Over time, it can cause brain inflammation, which may lead to neurological diseases. Excessive trans fat can contribute to dementia, and sugary drinks are linked to neurodegenerative disorders.

Studies have shown how processed food leads to cognitive decline, an risk of alzheimer.

Regular consumption, which is quite common these days, can disturb the gut-brain axis, the critical communication between your digestive tract and brain, leading to depression, anxiety, and even cognitive decline.

Plus, there are tons of other issues such foods can cause, which I’ve already discussed in a separate post.

Moving on to something even more common than processed food…

How sitting can harm your health

I’ll be focusing on sitting, or rather, prolonged sitting, which is so common that people never consider it a threat.
Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard of the “10k steps a day” rule and all that, but most people don’t realize they’re also sitting for 10+ hours daily.

Research form 2024 shows that sitting too long can increase risk of heart failure and related death by 40-60 %

Most of the time, people are bound by their routines, and they’re sitting all the time. At the office, in meetings, while eating, while traveling. Sitting has become so normal that no one sees it as a danger.

And trust me when I say this: sitting is not a treat. Extended sitting or a sedentary lifestyle is the real threat.
Most of the time, work demands so much sitting that people forget to take breaks or move around.

Take a bank employee or a freelancer, for example, they sit for hours and forget to take breaks. Even without realizing it, most people end up sitting for long stretches.

Sitting for extended hours can lead to backaches, poor circulation, muscle weakness, issues with blood sugar regulation, and no calorie burn. In the long term, it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, bad posture, and constant fatigue.

Studies states that sitting 7+ hours can make you age faster.

The problem is, people love sitting because it feels comfortable. It lets them slouch and scroll on their phones for hours.

Why do people sit for hours? Because it’s easy, it’s safe, it requires no effort, and when you mix it with your phone, it becomes a perfect combo.

All that slouching damages posture and the spine, eventually causing a permanent lower backache.

Screen usage

It’s unavoidable. It’s everywhere. And it works best in combination with sitting. There is tons of content online, and we’re already consuming way too much of it.

You’ll find content that’s designed in a way you simply can’t escape; your brain automatically keeps scrolling. Minutes turn into hours, and no one even realizes it.

In fact, Americans spend more than 5 hours daily on their phone. Similar figure for indians as well.

I saw something interesting recently: there’s a trainer at my gym who was watching reels at 5:30 in the morning. He just kept scrolling and scrolling mindlessly. You see, he couldn’t stop; he wanted to watch reels to feel good.

And, there are soo many people like him. I see them, I wonder, can’t we stay away from the phone for a while?
I’ve seen this very commonly with the younger generation.

As a content creator, I can tell you, people work really hard on the hook (the first few seconds). The idea is to grab attention and make people watch more. Content that makes you curious or excited tends to perform better, and that’s exactly what’s being designed.

Reels and doomscrolling surely make you feel great, but in a way, your brain is learning to find comfort in it.

In the long run, extended screen time affects brain health, sleep quality, and mental well-being.

A multi-year study tracking over 9,500 kids found that more screen time was directly associated with more severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, inattention, and aggression.

And when you combine it with prolonged sitting, you get all the issues mentioned above, multiplied.

What should we do

Today, I won’t be telling you this and that. I’ll just say this: we need to be more aware of our actions and their consequences.

First, with food, we need to know what we’re eating and what it will do to our bodies in the long run.
Sure, processed food tastes amazing, but over time, it’s not good for our health.

Second, with sitting, we need mindful breaks and awareness of our posture.
No chair can support you if you sit for too long. Try to take breaks and find reasons to stay active.
Even a 30-minute walk can do wonders.

I also feel, with apps and convenience, people have become lazier. Everything is available at a click, which means people will move less for things they should be moving.

Third, with screens, we again need mindful breaks.
We should know why we’re using them, what we’ll gain, and what damage they might cause in the long term.

Mindful breaks are good after prolonged sitting.

The world won’t change if we scroll less, but our lives might, if we start giving time to things that truly matter.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to end with a few questions:
Are you mindful of your actions?
Do you know how much time you spend on your phone?
Do you track your sitting time the same way you track your steps?

If not, maybe you should, for your health.