Research

Adherence

COVID-19 lockdown measures led to a significant increase in appetite and junk food consumption among younger demographics, resulting in a perceived weight gain in nearly half of the surveyed population.

During periods of high stress or isolation, be aware that your appetite may increase, particularly for junk food. This is a common reaction to boredom and stress, not a failure of willpower. Younger adults and those with higher BMI are more susceptible. To mitigate perceived weight gain, focus on managing stress and choosing healthier snacks rather than restricting food entirely.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
more than half of the participants feel a change in their hunger/satiety perception: 627 (17.7%) and 1214 (34.4%) of them have less or more appetite... The perception of weight gain has been detected to be positively and inversely associated to the increase consumption of junk food... An higher BMI, as well as a lower age, were associated to an increase of junk food consumption... The perception of weight gain has been detected to be positively... associated to the increase consumption of junk food... 48.6% of the population [perceived weight gain].
Laura Di Renzo et al. · Journal of Translational Medicine · 2020

Why this rating

Cross-sectional survey data with self-reported measures; statistically significant associations but prone to recall bias.

Source

Eating habits and lifestyle changes during COVID-19 lockdown: an Italian survey

Laura Di Renzo et al. · Journal of Translational Medicine · 2020

DOI 10.1186/s12967-020-02399-5

cross_sectional · n=3533Cited 2,118×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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