Prior to the pandemic, obesity rates were falling in children from more affluent households but increasing in other groups. The increase was more pronounced among Hispanic, Black, lower-income, or publicly insured children. In an analysis of more than 500,000 visits to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Care Network in 20, researchers found the prevalence of pediatric obesity increased from 13.7% pre-pandemic to 15.4% during the pandemic. That puts them at greater risk of contracting COVID, but also of experiencing heightened stress as they juggled working outside the home, staying safe, and caring for family members with schools and daycares closed.Ĭhildren, too, have gained weight during the pandemic. Underserved groups are also more likely to work as essential workers.
Compared with privileged groups, at-risk populations are less likely to have access to safe outdoor green space-and research has shown that the average body mass index of a community is lower in places with greater access to parks and public recreation lands (Ghimire, R., et al., Ecological Economics, Vol. That lack of access to healthy food was even more challenging during lockdown orders. People in marginalized groups are more likely to live in “food deserts” with limited access to fresh foods (Walker, R. “Those disparities have been amplified by the pandemic.” Those groups have also seen greater weight gain during the past year, said Amy Walters, PhD, a clinical health psychologist and the director of Behavioral Health Services for St. Obesity was already more prevalent in lower-income populations and in non-White groups such as Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous populations. People from marginalized groups were more likely to become infected and die from COVID-19 and were also hardest hit by the economic difficulties it wrought. The pandemic hasn’t affected all Americans equally. The size and scope of this public health problem almost demands it,” Sarwer said. “This is something that mental health professionals can and should address. Amidst the pandemic, the concerns have only grown. Obesity and obesity-related diseases were already a significant public health problem even before COVID-19 wreaked havoc on our routines. “For those of us in the obesity field, the weight changes aren’t surprising-but they are concerning.” “The stress, isolation, and challenges of making life work over the past year have necessitated changes in our behavior,” he said. Weight changes have come with good reason, as people’s diets, activity levels, sleep habits, and daily routines have been turned upside down by the pandemic, said David Sarwer, PhD, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at the College of Public Health at Temple University. adults reported undesired weight gain since the start of the pandemic, with an average gain of 29 pounds. For many people, those outward changes weren’t especially welcome.Īn APA Stress in America survey conducted in late February 2021 found 42% of U.S.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed us inside and out.
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