Relationship between social media addiction and bodyweight

Abstract

Introduction and aim. Social media addiction is increasing rapidly due to the widespread use of smartphones and the availability of the internet. Also, social media addiction constitutes a risk factor for many physical and mental diseases. We aimed to determine the frequency of social media addiction among obese patients. Material and methods. Adult patients who were admitted to the Diet Clinic of a tertiary healthcare hospital in order to lose weight enrolled in the study. A questionnaire including; Social Media Addiction Scale, body mass index (BMI), and demographic information (age, sex) was applied to all participants. Participants were grouped as obese, overweight, and normal weight. Results. A total of 179 patients (mean age: 34.1±12.6 years) enrolled in the study. No difference in sex was found (45.2% women, 47.3% men). Approximately half of the study population was found to be social media addicts. Participants younger than 45 years of age were found to have higher rates of social media addiction (X 2 = 4.26; p<0.05). The frequency of social media addiction was found to increase with increasing BMI (41.7%, 43.6%, and 48%; respectively). Conclusion. Social media addiction is prevalent and it is also more frequent in younger adults. Learning more about social media addiction and its relationship with obesity can decrease its health consequences.