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

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 (beta = 0.078, p = 0.010), lower baseline minutes of physical activity per day (beta = -0.107, p = 0.004), greater declines in minutes of physical activity per day (beta = -0.076, p = 0.026), depressive symptoms (beta = 0.098, p = 0.034), and greater increases in time preparing food (beta = 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.

Automated summary

The study aimed to examine the impact of state stay-at-home mandates on weight of US adults during COVID-19. It found that US adults gained weight, with individuals with obesity experiencing greater weight gain. Factors such as longer stay-at-home mandates, decreased physical activity, depressive symptoms, and increased time preparing food were associated with greater weight gain.