Objective: Amidst restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, jokes have surfaced regarding weight gain during the pandemic. The current study documents perceived changes since COVID-19 and compares these to observed longitudinal changes in reported weight, BMI, and how college students described their weight from January to April 2020. Method: Undergraduates (N = 90; 88% female) completed on-line assessments before and after students were required to leave campus due to COVID-19. Time 1 and Time 2 surveys collected demographic information, height, weight, and a Likert-scale rating to describe perceived weight, ranging from 1 = very underweight to 5 = very overweight (weight description). Time 2 surveys added questions for perceived changes since COVID-19 in body weight, eating, physical activity, various forms of screen time, and concerns about weight, shape, and eating. Results: Time 2 surveys indicated perceived increases in body weight, eating, and screen time, and decreases in physical activity along with increased concerns about weight, shape and eating since COVID-19. Longitudinal data indicated no significant change in weight, body mass index (BMI), or BMI category, but how participants described their weight changed significantly from January to April 2020. Compared to longitudinal changes in BMI category, students' weight description was significantly more likely to fall into a higher category from Time 1 to Time 2. Discussion: Shifts in how body weight is experienced in the wake of COVID-19 that do not align with observed changes in reported weight may reflect cognitive distortions that could increase risk for disordered eating in some individuals. K E Y W O R D S body mass index, COVID-19, eating concerns, weight concerns, weight gain 1 | INTRODUCTION COVID-19 has severely disrupted daily life around the globe. In the United States, many universities abruptly shifted to on-line instruction during March 2020 and required students to leave campus to reduce the risk of infection. For many students, this meant returning home to live with families and adapting to various stages of community restrictions to "flatten the curve." A return to home, adhering to calls for social distancing, and the closing of bars, restaurants, retail stores, movie theaters, gyms, and more, dramatically altered college students' home, school, work, and social lives. Because grocery shopping was deemed "essential" in almost all communities, food and eating remained one of the few pleasurable activities that most people could pursue along with watching television,

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Suicide is a public health concern which warrants considerable attention, especially with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study sought to examine the relationship between behavioral, psychological, and economic impacts of COVID-19 on suicidal ideation severity in a sample of 90 undergraduate students who completed a comprehensive survey on mental health in January 2020 and were reassessed in April, June, and July of 2020. Multiple regression analyses showed that changes in experience of loneliness, loneliness due to social distancing, pandemicrelated concerns, COVID contagion anxiety, and quarantining alone positively and significantly correlated with peri-pandemic suicidal ideation severity after accounting for pre-pandemic suicidal ideation and sexual orientation, while time spent talking to romantic partner and time spent talking to friends and family were negatively correlated. Findings provide insights into the psychological and behavioral effects of social distancing measures and the pandemic, but further research is needed to generalize findings.

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