Shutterstock
Depending on who you ask, the world is headed down a fast track toward the future depicted in either Idiocracy or WALL-E, and based on current trends, it wouldn’t shock me if we end up with a weird hybrid of both where the United States is governed by a morbidly obese Terry Crews hovering around the White House yelling about electrolytes (which plants crave).
It might seem hyperbolic, but it’s hard to deny the past couple of decades have led us down a path of both previously incomprehensible levels of both innovation and laziness made possible by the ever-increasing number of services intent on bringing humanity to a point where people don’t have to go outside. While there are certainly upsides to having access to basically anything you want with a few presses of a button, there are plenty of negatives that extend beyond the potential exploitation of workers— including your health.
Fast Company shared the results of a survey conducted by Harris that asked both health experts and regular people about the impact technology has had on their well-being. Unless you’re that guy who’s a little too into checking your Fitbit, there’s a solid chance the apps you rely on are probably making you fatter over time. The survey discovered people are finding it increasingly harder to lose weight thanks to busy lifestyles that are supplemented by services like Uber and your food delivery service of choice.
Virtually every health professional said the general population is less active than ever before (which most normal people admitted to) and they noted that structure was key when it came to keeping off the pounds. There’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of the fact that you can watch virtually anything ever made without having to leave your couch, but ordering $20 worth of Chinese food for yourself and watching an entire season of Frasier in one day probably shouldn’t be a frequent habit.