As a second summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans are worried about losing weight after so many months at home. Many people didn’t have much to do, except for food, TV shows and favorite movies.
How much have Americans really earned since the first home residence orders were issued a year ago?
Polls said what most people assumed – that “quarantine 15”, like “15 years”, is a real concern. But a new study tried to better quantify the weight the Americans gained using measurements from smart scales connected via Bluetooth.
Research has found that adults gained almost two kilograms a month over a four-month period, which corresponded to last year’s strictest blockages. That could easily add up to 20 pounds in a year, said researcher Dr. Gregory M. Marcus, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, New York Times.
“We know that weight gain is already a public health problem in the United States, so anything that makes it worse is certainly worrying, and shelter orders in their place are so pervasive that the large number of people affected by it. makes it extremely relevant ”. Marcus said.
All study participants tracked their weight as part of a cardiology study that asked them to weigh themselves regularly using smart scales connected via Bluetooth. Each participant reported approximately 28 weight measurements between 1 February 2020 and 1 June 2020.
The researchers acknowledged that the study is small – it included only 269 people – and therefore cannot make broad assumptions. However, it still suggests a growing problem supported by other research.
A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 42% of the 3,013 adult respondents said they had experienced unwanted weight gain amid the pandemic. From this group, the average person gained 29 kilograms.
But this amount has been even higher over the millennia. Almost 50% of the millennials surveyed said they had gained weight. And their average weight gain? An amazing 41 pounds, the largest amount of any generation.
Obesity is one of the biggest health threats to Americans and is considered a risk factor for more severe COVID-19 disease and hospitalization.
Almost 42% of American adults are considered obese and another 32% are overweight. Adults are considered obese if their body mass index is 30 or higher. In many states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, obese people are a priority for coronavirus vaccines.
Dr. Angela Fitch, associate director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center, called the weight gains reported by millennials “striking.”
“As an obesity specialist … I find it alarming, for sure,” Fitch said CBS news. “But you can see where that might be the case. I mean, it’s been a very challenging year, on many levels.”
COVID-19 has disrupted life in many ways. Many people have been saddened by the loss of loved ones or faced with financial worries, including the cost of healthy food. Others had limited time to move. All of this could contribute to the weightlifting of Americans.
How to lose weight gained amid the pandemic
So how can people lose weight while still spending a lot of time at home? Here are some recommendations from experts:
Eat more products and less processed foods and avoid high-calorie sugary drinks. The key is to reduce 500 calories each day through exercise and reduce calorie intake, say nutritionists.
Maintaining a daily routine, planning meals and dressing at work – even when working from home – can help people stay on track with their fitness goals, recommend John Morton and Artur Viana of Yale Medicine. Sitting all day in sweatpants can hide any gradual weight gain.
Also, don’t skip breakfast. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast every day have lower body mass indexes than people who skip breakfast.
People can use their time at home to try new and healthy recipes and to improve their sleep patterns so that they sleep more every night. Obesity has been linked to lower amounts of sleep.
And, of course, exercise, either inside the house or outside, with the return of warmer weather. Adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week, according to the World Health Organization.
Are you trying to limit your outdoor time? Create an impromptu gym or start family yoga sessions. If space is limited, use housekeeping and other tasks to increase daily steps.