“The COVID-19 pandemic is an interesting model for individual and social stress and showed that changes in mental health can actually prevent people from maintaining a healthy body weight.”
The Story at a Glance
- Between March and November 2021, as the delta variation increased, researchers polled more than 400 people for the study; all had visited one of three clinics for obesity in the previous two years.
- They discovered that, on average, participants gained 4.3% of their body weight, with nearly one-third gaining more than 5%.
- Some people made gains of more than 25%.
According to a new study, those with obesity who had significant levels of sadness, anxiety, and stress said they gained the most weight during the first year of the coronavirus epidemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a “fascinating model for individual and social stress,” according to Jaime Almandoz, associate professor of internal medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at The University of Texas Southwestern and study author. Changes in mental health can actually make it difficult for people to maintain healthy body weight.
About 42% of Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are obese.
Between March and November 2021, as the delta variation increased, researchers polled more than 400 people for the study; all had visited one of three clinics for obesity in the previous two years.
Most participants gained 4.3 percent of their body weight, while nearly one-third gained more than 5 percent, according to the research. The study found that some participants gained more than 25%.
According to Almandoz, the fact that nearly half of the participants came from households with an annual income of more than $75,000 indicates that these “stresses are likely increased in the broader population.”
Researchers discovered that while food and exercise were significant contributors to participants’ weight gain, mental health problems were a significant factor among those who gained the most weight.
According to Almandoz, “Our findings highlight the complexity of obesity; it’s not just about telling individuals to eat less and walk more.” Treatment of the full individual must also take into account mental health issues.
