Phones blamed as UK sits top for inactivity

LAZINESS has worsened more rapidly in Britain than in any other major western European country because of smartphones, researchers have warned.

A study examining levels of sedentary behaviour among adults found a 22 per cent increase in the UK between 2002 and 2017.

Its authors say greater rates of inactivity among those aged 35 to 44 is partly driving the change, as well as a greater tendency among all adults to be sedentary during their leisure time due to the proliferation of handheld devices.

Among near neighbours with large populations, France saw the next worse increase in sedentary behaviour – defined as spending four and half hours or more a day sitting down – with 17.8 per cent, followed by a 7.4 per cent rise in Germany and 3.9 per cent in Spain.

The study also showed sedentary behaviour in Britain increased by 25.2 per cent for men and 16.5 for women.

Inactivity is one of the biggest drivers of life-threatening conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Published in the journal BCM Public Health, the authors argue that govern- ments would have more success in battling unhealthy lifestyles if they stressed the dangers of spending too much time sitting down rather than encouraging people to go to the gym.

Research in 2016 estimated that there were 230,000 deaths in Europe each year attributable to sitting time, about 4.4 per cent of all deaths. Experts have calculated the figure for Britain to be 70,000 deaths a year.

Last year a survey of smartphone owners in the UK found that, on average, people spend three hours and 25 minutes on their phones each day.