When it's time to sit down for a meal, your immediate reflex might be to tune into Netflix or YouTube to start watching a series. If that's the case , you are not alone, 1 in 3 Americans can’t eat a meal without being on their phone. However, you might not be aware of the significant health consequences associated with this habit.

Eating while distracted by our screens has become a seemingly harmless yet pervasive habit with significant consequences. To understand the origins of this phenomenon, let's take a brief look at history. In France, the concept of pairing screen time with mealtime dates back to 1949 with the introduction of the evening news broadcast at 9 PM. This timing was strategic, targeting one of the few quiet moments in a family's day—mealtime.

Although evening news broadcasts may no longer captivate audiences as they once did, particularly among younger people, the tradition of combining meals with screen time is growing strong. The notion of eating in silence, alone, is increasingly rare. Instead, we power up our computers, tablets, and other devices to watch an episode or scroll through social media.

Screens Alter Our Satiety

Our brains struggle a bit to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. As a result, they will inevitably "prioritize" these tasks and give some sort of priority to these different activities. When we eat in front of a screen, that's exactly what happens: we have two distinct actions. Watching and following a storyline on one side, and ingesting food on the other.

The one that will take precedence is obviously the more stimulating of the two, namely the ongoing series. The consequence is that the brain won't send the right signals to our stomach, and vice versa. Food enters our digestive system, but we're not sure in what quantity. Studies show that when watching a screen, we tend to eat an average of 25% more than we should, simply because our brain is no longer capable of detecting any satiety (the sensation of "fullness").

Our brains struggle to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Consequently, they prioritize these tasks, assigning different levels of importance to each activity. When we eat in front of a screen, this is precisely what occurs: we engage in two distinct actions. On one hand, we watch and follow a storyline; on the other, we ingest food.

The activity that typically takes precedence is the more stimulating of the two, such as an engaging series. As a result, the brain may not send the correct signals to our stomach and vice versa. Food enters our digestive system, but the quantity is often uncertain. Studies have shown that when watching a screen, people tend to consume an average of 25% more than necessary, primarily because the brain fails to detect satiety—the sensation of being "full."

| "Between 1990 and today, meal duration has dropped from 1h30 to 22min […] ». — "C’est décidé, je ralentis", Xavier Kreutzer

Consuming 25% more than needed, coupled with a blurred sensation of satiety, leads to more frequent eating between meals and an increase in high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks. This pattern is a recipe for gaining extra weight.

A 2019 study have suggested that this behavior could be a primary cause of obesity in some children. Being inattentive to what they consume, children may end up eating far more than their bodies require.

Obesity, Danger or Not?

☞ Side note: The question isn't to pass any judgment on weight, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

The idea is to approach the issue from a health perspective. In this sense, experts recommend paying attention to your BMI (Body Mass Index), meaning providing the necessary nutrients for your body to function "normally" (in both senses). What studies report today is that approximately 46% of Americans (French friends, here it's 1/2) are either obese or classified as "overweight".

The WHO (World Health Organization) explains that this imbalance can lead to numerous cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers. And every year, thousands of premature deaths are attributed to obesity. Note that anxiety, depression, etc., represent no less than 20 trillion euros per year to healthcare systems.

Screens during meals are a bit like a "butterfly effect". It seems harmless, risk-free, and yet it can end up having serious consequences on our health.