Research

Adherence

Government-mandated lockdowns and quarantine measures contribute to weight gain and the development of obesity through reduced physical activity and increased consumption of hyperpalatable foods.

Lockdowns can lead to weight gain due to stress eating and less activity. To counter this, try to maintain a routine, find non-food ways to cope with stress, and limit access to hyperpalatable, calorie-dense foods. Even small increases in physical activity can help mitigate these effects.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Such time in quarantine is known to result in negative emotions... and eating is a known coping mechanism... increased likelihood of stress eating, combined with potentially increased use of hyperpalatable, calorie-dense ultra-processed foods... may lead to overeating, body fat gain and the further development of obesity in the population.
Xiaomin Sun et al. · Research Square · 2021

Why this rating

Based on one longitudinal study of children and general observations of behavior, with limited research reported.

Source

Increased COVID-19 Infection Susceptibility and Adverse Outcomes Due to Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Xiaomin Sun et al. · Research Square · 2021

DOI 10.21203/rs.3.rs-244649/v1

Meta-analysis · 5 studies
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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