Obesity is indeed the biggest health problem in the world. Obesity occurs when there is an excessive accumulation of fat in the body. It is undeniable that lifestyle is the key to the risk of obesity. Poor eating and sleeping habits and lack of physical activity are some of the main factors that can increase the risk of obesity.

In a pandemic like we are facing today, most countries around the world choose to implement a 'lockdown' to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During a lockdown, people are encouraged to do all activities from home, both office and school activities. However, this can have a negative impact on body health, especially for those who already have a history of obesity. The reason is that the feeling of 'comfort' when doing activities at home makes them feel lazier to move, while also affect their eating and sleeping habits.

This is further supportedby the results of a recent study conducted by Italian researchers. They found that lockdown had a negative impact on diet, sleep, and physical activity in obese children. These results were obtained after conducting a lifestyle analysis of 41 obese children and adolescents in Italy. The lifestyle analysed includes eating, sleeping, and whatever activities they do during the three-week lockdown period. These results were then compared with the data collected in 2019.

The results showed that every participant experienced negative lifestyle changes. It was noted that there was an increase in the amount of food intake per day. Intake of foods such as meat, sugary drinks, and junk food has increased dramatically during the lockdown period. The number of hours they slept also increased by half an hour per day. In addition, the isolation period also increases the amount of time staring at the screen of TV, mobile phone, and computers by up to five hours per day.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Pietrobelli, A., Pecoraro, L., Ferruzzi, A., et al (2020). Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown of Lifestyle Behaviors in Children with Obesity Living in Verona, Italy: A Longitudinal Study. Obesity, DOI: 10.1002 / oby.22861.
• Science Daily - COVID-19 lockdowns worsen childhood obesity, study finds (2020). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200603194444.htm, 8 June 2020.