OBESITY INCREASE DURING COVID-19

The Scary Truth about the Pandemics Effects

Recent studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in obesity in adults and children all around the US. In an article published by the CDC in September of 2020, they found that in over 12 states the obesity prevalence rate was at or about 35%. These included states such as Tennesse, Kentucky, Alabama, and more. (New CDC data finds adult obesity is increasing, 2020) This increase affected all individuals no matter race, ethnicity, gender, or age.

OBESITY IN CHILDREN

How School Closures Have Impacted Childhood Obesity

In an article done by Joseph Workman, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Kansas, explored the effects the school closure had on childhood obesity. (Workman, 2020) In the article, Workman finds that before the closure it was common for elementary school kids to gain weight in the Summer and lose weight over the course of the school year. This is due to kids being home, parents working, not having time to make a proper lunch, lots of snacking, and less time outside being active. Workman looks at this increase in weight over the course of a month in Summer and multiples it over the course of 5 months to project how much of an increase there will be in childhood obesity during the school closures. As children are coming back to school we predict the numbers to lower, however, during this time everything is unpredictable so we wonder what we can do to fix the problem and get kids moving again.

OBESITY IN ADULTS

With a mix of adults being out of work or working overtime to help, adults' diets have been changed as a consequence of the pandemic. Individuals are choosing to snack a lot more or eat what is in their house instead of going out even if it isn't the healthiest choice. Some individuals are scared to go to the grocery store so instead, use fast-food delivery as a substitution. Not to mention due to closures in gyms and changes in their schedules some of us have led to a more sedentary lifestyle. All of these have led to an increase in weight and obesity rates.

HOW WE CAN FIX THE PROBLEM

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were many factors that played a role in the increasing obesity rate during and now after the pandemic. Some of the factors included individuals' physical activity levels going down because gyms were shut down, individuals working from home and didn’t go out as much, and we also saw children's weight be affected with schools closing. Not only that but individuals' diets had changed too, there was more snacking, eating comfort foods, and getting fast food delivered. Overall, now that we are reaching a sense of normal we should be taking care of ourselves to help fight obesity. Some of the things we can do are started by making sure we are getting active every day in some way. Whether that be walking around the neighborhood for an hour, doing a home exercise program, going to the gym, or dancing around. Doing some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes of the day will help. With that also making changes to your diet will aid in helping end obesity. Try swapping other junkier foods with heart and body-healthy options like fruits or vegetables. (Balzer, 2021)