In low income countries, people with cars, TVs and computers at home are far more likely to be obese than people with no such conveniences, researchers said Monday.

Eating more, sitting still and missing out on exercise by driving are all likely reasons why people with these modern-day luxuries could be gaining weight and putting themselves at risk for diabetes, researchers said.

The findings in the Canadian Medical Journal suggest extra caution is needed to prevent health dangers in nations that are adopting a Western lifestyle.

"With increasing uptake of modern-day conveniences - TVs, cars, computers - low and middle income countries could see the same obesity and diabetes rates as in high income countries that are the result of too much sitting, less physical activity and increased consumption of calories," said lead author Scott Lear of Simon Fraser University.

"This can lead to potentially devastating societal health care consequences in these countries."

The same relationship did not exist in developed nations, suggesting the harmful effects of these devices on health are already reflected in the high obesity and diabetes rates.

The study included nearly 154,000 adults from 17 countries and regions across the income spectrum, from the US, Canada and Sweden to China, Iran, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

TVs were the most common electronic device in developing countries - 78 percent of households had one - followed by 34 percent that owned a computer and 32 percent with a car.

Those that did have electronics were fatter and less active than those that did not.