The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted on a regular basis life, remoted individuals from family and friends, and spawned an financial disaster.
On prime of all that, it has additionally affected individuals’s psychological and bodily well being. A worldwide survey carried out earlier this yr confirms what many have already skilled firsthand: The virus and ensuing lockdowns led to dramatic modifications in well being behaviors, with individuals all over the world chopping again on bodily exercise and consuming extra junk meals. It has additionally worsened nervousness and disrupted sleep.
And people who are overweight, who already face elevated well being dangers, might have fared the worst, the researchers discovered. Whereas they tended to expertise enhancements in some features of their diets, they had been additionally the more than likely to report fighting their weight and psychological well being.
The examine, carried out by researchers on the Pennington Biomedical Analysis Heart in Louisiana, surveyed nearly 8,000 adults throughout the globe, together with individuals from 50 totally different nations and each state in America. The researchers discovered that the decline in wholesome behaviors throughout the pandemic was pretty frequent no matter geography.
They discovered that most individuals turned extra sedentary, and lots of mentioned they’d given in to their meals cravings. Consumption of sweetened drinks and sugary snack meals, for instance, went up. About 27 p.c of individuals mentioned they’d gained weight after the preliminary lockdowns went into impact.
The findings, published in the journal Obesity, supply a cautionary lesson. With months to go earlier than we will safely resume our pre-pandemic routines, now may be a great time to evaluate the wholesome habits we might have let slip and to seek out new methods to be proactive about our bodily and psychological well being.