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

Seal, Adam; Schaffner, Andrew; Phelan, Suzanne; Brunner-Gaydos, Hannah; Tseng, Marilyn; Keadle, Sarah; Alber, Julia; Kiteck, Isabelle; Hagobian, Todd

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the effect of state stay-at-home mandates on weight of US adults and 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 kg to 77.3 kg, p = 0.002). 26% of those with obesity gained > 2 kg as compared to 14.8% of normal weight (p < 0.001). 53.3% of individuals with obesity maintained weight within 2 kg compared to 72.5% of normal weight (p < 0.001). Greater weight gain was related to longer stay-at-home mandates (ß = 0.078, p = 0.010), lower baseline minutes of physical activity per day (ß = -0.107, p = 0.004), greater declines in minutes of physical activity per day (ß = -0.076, p = 0.026), depressive symptoms (ß = 0.098, p = 0.034), and greater increases in time preparing food (ß = 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.