Research
Energy balance
The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased snacking, alcohol consumption, and weight gain in older adults, predisposing them to overnutrition.
If you are an older adult, be aware that the pandemic's stress and isolation may have led you to snack more, drink more alcohol, or gain weight. This is a common reaction. To manage this, try to identify non-food coping mechanisms for stress and prioritize healthy, balanced meals.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
An impact on nutritional behaviour predisposing to overnutrition (e.g., snacking more) was reported by 20.3–32.4%.
Why this rating
Self-reported data from a large observational cohort; not an RCT.
Source
Self-Reported Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviour in Dutch Older Adults Living Independently
Marjolein Visser et al. · Nutrients · 2020
DOI 10.3390/nu12123708
cross_sectional · n=1119Cited 190×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures (social distancing, quarantine) caused a significant decrease in physical activity and exercise levels in older adults living independently, with nearly half of the sample reporting reduced activity.Moderate
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to decreased food intake, skipping warm meals, and weight loss in a subset of older adults, predisposing them to undernutrition.Moderate
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →