COVID‐19 pandemic and stay‐at‐home mandates promote weight gain in US adults

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the effect of state stay‐at‐home mandates on weight of US adults by BMI over 3 months during COVID‐19. Methods US adults completed an online questionnaire containing demographics, weight, physical activity, sedentary time, fruit/vegetable intake, depressive symptoms, stress, and sleep at baseline (May 2020) and after 3 months (August 2020). Results Participants gained 0.6 kg (76.7‐77.3 kg, p = 0.002). A total of 26% of those with obesity gained > 2 kg compared with 14.8% of those with normal weight (p < 0.001). A total of 53.3% of individuals with obesity maintained weight within 2 kg compared with 72.5% of those with normal weight (p < 0.001). Greater weight gain was related to longer stay‐at‐home mandates (β = 0.078, p = 0.010), lower baseline minutes of physical activity per day (β = −0.107, p = 0.004), greater declines in minutes of physical activity per day (β = −0.076, p = 0.026), depressive symptoms (β = 0.098, p = 0.034), and greater increases in time preparing food (β = 0.075, p = 0.031). Conclusions US adults gained weight, and stay‐at‐home mandates were associated with atypical weight gain and greater reported weight gain in individuals with obesity over 3 months.

Gender differences in bodyweight change following COVID-19 lockdown measures in the Netherlands: a prospective longitudinal study

“…In an online survey collected among a nationally representative sample in April 2020, 22% of respondents moreover reported an increased consumption of snacks and sweets since lockdown measures were in place and 14% reported eating more frequently overall 9. These findings from the Netherlands are in line with the results of studies conducted in other contexts,10 for example, in the USA,11 12 Canada,13 UK,14 Germany,15 16 France,17 Denmark,18 Spain,19 China20 and Japan 21. We therefore hypothesise that bodyweight increased among working-age women and men following the implementation of COVID-19 lockdown measures in the Netherlands.…”

COVID-19 infection and body weight: A deleterious liaison in a J-curve relationship

“…Finally, the two diseases (obesity and COVID-19) appear to be interconnected, as the COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to exacerbate the obesity epidemic among adult and pediatric populations due to physical inactivity, stress and unhealthy diet; [108] , [109] , [110] on the other hand, obesity and impaired metabolic health are enhancers of severe COVID-19 infection. 109 Also, obesity might adversely affect the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines due to reduced memory immune responses in these individuals leading to diminished long-term protection against re-infections; 111 hence, investigators propose strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity and impaired metabolic health in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“… 3 Similarly, in an online survey of adults during May 2020–August 2020, the average weight gain reported across all participants amounted to 1.3 pounds, with 1 in 4 participants who had obesity reporting an average weight gain >3 times higher (4.4 pounds). 4 Given the rapidity with which adults gained weight, it is likely that intra-pandemic changes in risky dietary or other health-related behaviors contributed to the rise in body weight during the pandemic. Indeed, studies using online survey data found that adult participants who reported that they gained weight during the pandemic also reported more frequent snacking and alcohol intake 5 ; increased eating in response to sight, smell, and stress 6 ; and decreased physical activity.…”