Lockdown takes toll on diets of overweight and highly-educated people

04 Nov 2020 --- Overweight and highly-educated people are two groups who were more likely to increase their consumption of unhealthy food during the first COVID-19 lockdown in spring.

This is according to a study carried out by Wageningen University & Research (WUR), which analyzed the eating habits of 1,030 people in the Netherlands.

“While diet-related conditions are a major risk factor for being hospitalized for COVID-19, this study indicates that the pandemic may further increase health disparities,” lead author Dr. Maartje Poelman of WUR’s chair group of consumption and healthy lifestyles tells NutritionInsight. 

She flags that in the upcoming months or years – depending on the course of COVID-19 and its impact on society – it is important to monitor the consequences of the lockdown on peoples’ eating and food behaviors as well as health status, especially among the most vulnerable groups.Obese people were more likely to say they ate unhealthier during lockdown (Source: Appetite). 

More educated people eat less healthily
The study assessed people’s eating habits over the five weeks of the first COVID-19 lockdown in spring. Most people did not change their eating habits, with 63 percent saying they did not eat differently and 73 percent saying they did not buy or order other food. 

However, there were notable socio-demographic patterns among those who did change their eating habits. 

One example is that more educated people reported eating more unhealthily and buying more sweets and alcoholic beverages during the lockdown than those with lower education levels. 

An explanation may be that the daily routines of higher-educated people were more often disrupted by the lockdown as they are more likely to work in jobs that allowed them to work from home. This could have contributed to altered eating habits. 

Lockdown drives stress-eating
Another major pattern is that overweight and obese people were more likely to eat more during lockdown. They also ate more unhealthy foods and ordered more unhealthy meals than usual. 

For example, they said they ate more potato chips and other snacks and drank more soft drinks. This pattern is also visible in other countries, according to Poelman. 

She posits that this may be due to additional stress, which is a logical psychological response to a pandemic. However, stress is also associated with food consumption and obesity. The exact mechanisms underlying this observation require further investigation.

“The pattern clearly shows how external factors – such as a lockdown and everything this involves – influence the eating behavior of some people more than others. This has nothing to do with lack of self-control or willpower,” she explains. 

Interestingly, a separate survey of 12,000 people revealed that people with obesity were improving their diets the most. However, they also experienced the sharpest decline in mental health and the highest incidence of weight gain. 

One-third of people with obesity gained weight during the lockdown, compared to 20.5 percent of people with normal weight or overweight. 

Further reasons for changing habits
Of the participants in the WUR study who did intend to eat healthier food during the lockdown, 30 percent said that this was in a bid to boost their resistance. 

Other reasons given for healthier eating behavior during the lockdown were that people had fewer temptations at work (such as birthday cakes or snacks), and there were fewer enticements caused by eating out. Working from home also meant there was more time to prepare healthy meals.

Conversely, unhealthy temptations at home and having more time to cook large meals or bake cakes were reasons for less healthy eating. Other factors included boredom, more free time, more stress and less social control. 

Across the Atlantic, the US National Confectioners Association found mixed sales gains for confectionery in its second pandemic report.Diet-related non-communicable diseases like obesity are associated with increased risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19 (Source: UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity). 

Encouraging healthy eating
Especially for individuals with overweight and obesity, the lockdown has taken its toll on healthy dietary choices, says Poelman. 

“Parallel to eliminating COVID-19, it is important to implement actions encouraging a healthy diet to support individuals to get into a healthy lifestyle routine, especially among vulnerable groups like those with obesity,” she adds. 

She points out that diet-related non-communicable diseases like obesity are associated with increased risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19. Furthermore, the study indicates a higher risk for unhealthy eating behavior for the same group under lockdown circumstances.

“Supporting a healthy diet should be approached from a socio-ecological perspective by not only encouraging individuals to eat well-balanced meals but also improving the food system on the global, national and community level,” Poelman concludes.

By Katherine Durrell