Relationship between stress and weight management behaviors during the COVID‐19 pandemic among those enrolled in an internet program

Abstract

Background The COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in mandated stay‐at‐home orders, potentially resulting in changes in mental health (e.g., stress, anxiety) and challenges maintaining healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors. Objective This study examined how stress was associated with mental well‐being and weight loss behaviors during the COVID‐19 pandemic among adults enrolled in an internet‐based weight loss program. Methods Participants enrolled in a weight‐loss program residing in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, USA, completed a brief survey on their mental health and current weight‐loss behaviors during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Surveys were completed between 14 April 2020 and 21 April 2020, approximately one month after stay‐at‐home orders were mandated. Linear regression was used to examine associations between stress, mental health, and weight‐loss behaviors. Results A total of 99 participants completed the survey (79% female, 91% white, 52.2 ± 9.8 years, 34.0 ± 5.2 kg/m2, 77% reported moderate to extreme stress). Greater stress was associated with higher BMI (p = 0.04), higher education (p = 0.04), working more hours (p = 0.003), and having school‐age children at home (p = 0.002). Greater stress was also associated with higher levels of anxiety, worry, and concern regarding COVID‐19 (p's < 0.001) and having less time to spend on weight‐loss efforts (p < 0.001), after controlling for BMI and education. Conclusions Many individuals enrolled in a weight‐loss program experienced more stress during COVID‐19 compared to before the pandemic. This stress was related to more mental health challenges as well as more difficulties finding time for weight management efforts.

Improving lifestyle obesity treatment during the COVID‐19 pandemic and beyond: New challenges for weight management

“…Specifically, the analysis of qualitative data clearly showed that stress and anxiety related to the pandemic and stay‐at‐home order presented the biggest challenges with respect to weight loss, with the effects on diet and exercise often stemming from stress and anxiety. In the similar, but exclusively quantitative study of the effects of COVID‐19 on participants of an online weight loss trial, 12 there was not a significant association observed between stress and eating in response to emotions rather than hunger (i.e., emotional eating). However, the qualitative analysis of open‐ended responses from this study revealed that stress eating was identified as one of the most challenging aspects of working toward weight loss goals following the COVID‐19 pandemic.…”

“…Within the past year, several recent studies have been published that report on the impact of the COVID‐19 outbreak on adults with overweight or obesity. 3 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 The majority of these publications highlight the importance of mental health as well as the challenges in adhering to behavioral recommendations for achieving weight loss. For example, a recent paper examining the effects of the COVID‐19 outbreak on health behaviors among a large international sample ( n = 7,753) found that individuals with obesity reported higher incidence of weight gain and sharper declines in mental health following the COVID‐19 outbreak compared to respondents with healthy weight or overweight.…”

“… 11 Lastly, among participants of an internet‐based behavioral weight loss program in the Northeastern United States, 77% reported experiencing moderate to extreme stress during the stay‐at‐home orders, and stress levels were significantly associated with having less time to spend on weight‐loss efforts. 12 However, no known study has specifically reported the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on individuals with overweight or obesity enrolled in in‐person behavioral weight loss interventions.…”

Adversity quotient of students during covid-19 outbreak

“…As found in research, during the Covid-19 pandemic, students had high stress (Choompunuch et al, 2021). Stress can affect individual behavior (Pellegrini et al, 2021) so that it can reduce productivity, for example, in students, a lack of motivation to attend lectures, delays in doing lecture assignments and being paranoid about university life (Choompunuch et al, 2021).…”

Diet Impact on Obesity beyond Calories and Trefoil Factor Family 2 (TFF2) as an Illustration: Metabolic Implications and Potential Applications

“…[ 41 , 42 , 46 ]) are towards worsening obesity rates worldwide. This includes the greater stress that was related to a higher body mass index, an increased working time, a higher anxiety level and less time to spend on weight management efforts [ 47 ] during this COVID-19 crisis. On the other hand, obesity consequences on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 include increased hospitalization, intensive care unit admission and mortality [ 48 ].…”