COVID‐19 pandemic and stay‐at‐home mandates promote weight gain in US adults

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the effect of state stay‐at‐home mandates on weight of US adults by BMI over 3 months during COVID‐19.

Methods

US adults completed an online questionnaire containing demographics, weight, physical activity, sedentary time, fruit/vegetable intake, depressive symptoms, stress, and sleep at baseline (May 2020) and after 3 months (August 2020).

Results

Participants gained 0.6 kg (76.7‐77.3 kg, p = 0.002). A total of 26% of those with obesity gained > 2 kg compared with 14.8% of those with normal weight ( p < 0.001). A total of 53.3% of individuals with obesity maintained weight within 2 kg compared with 72.5% of those with normal weight ( p < 0.001). Greater weight gain was related to longer stay‐at‐home mandates ( β = 0.078, p = 0.010), lower baseline minutes of physical activity per day ( β = −0.107, p = 0.004), greater declines in minutes of physical activity per day ( β = −0.076, p = 0.026), depressive symptoms ( β = 0.098, p = 0.034), and greater increases in time preparing food ( β = 0.075, p = 0.031).

Conclusions

US adults gained weight, and stay‐at‐home mandates were associated with atypical weight gain and greater reported weight gain in individuals with obesity over 3 months.