The Impact of Internet and Mobile Phone Usage and Unemployment on Adult Obesity: Empirical Evidence from the BRICS States.

Background/Objectives: The number of overweight and obese people has significantly increased in the world, and this phenomenon is referred to as globesity. Globally increasing obesity has become one of the major problems to be dealt with for countries, given obesity-related health problems, including nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases and some types of cancer, and the economic and social costs of obesity. Therefore, countries try to combat obesity through diverse strategies related to nutrition, physical activity, and education. In this regard, identifying the factors behind obesity is critical to making progress in the fight against obesity. Methods: This study explores the interplay amongst ICT (information and communication technologies) indicators, including Internet and mobile phone usage, unemployment, and adult obesity in the BRICS states from 1995 to 2022, using recently developed cointegration techniques and causality tests. Results: The outcomes of causality tests uncover an interaction between Internet and mobile phone usage, unemployment, and adult obesity. In addition, the cointegration coefficients reveal that Internet and mobile phone usage positively impact adult obesity, while unemployment has a negative effect on adult obesity. Conclusions: Our outcomes uncover that improper use of the Internet and mobile phones foster adult obesity, but proper utilization of the Internet and mobile phones can be effective instruments in combatting adult obesity through increasing the awareness of healthy lifestyles and online weight loss programs.