COVID-19 lockdowns worsen childhood obesity, study finds
Research finds obese kids under lockdown in Italy ate more junk food,
watched more TV at expense of physical activity

Date:
June 3, 2020
Source:
University at Buffalo
Summary:
Lockdowns implemented across the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic
have negatively impacted diet, sleep and physical activity among
children with obesity, according to new research.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== [Child watching TV (stock | Credit: (c) natmacstock / stock.adobe.com]
Child watching TV (stock image).

Credit: (c) natmacstock / stock.adobe.com [Child watching TV (stock |
Credit: (c) natmacstock / stock.adobe.com] Child watching TV (stock
image).

Credit: (c) natmacstock / stock.adobe.com Close Lockdowns implemented
across the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted
diet, sleep and physical activity among children with obesity, according
to University at Buffalo research.


==========================================================================
The study, published in April in Obesity, examined 41 overweight children
under confinement throughout March and April in Verona, Italy.

Compared to behaviors recorded a year prior, the children ate an
additional meal per day; slept an extra half hour per day; added nearly
five hours per day in front of phone, computer and television screens;
and dramatically increased their consumption of red meat, sugary drinks
and junk foods.

Physical activity, on the other hand, decreased by more than two hours
per week, and the amount of vegetables consumed remained unchanged.

"The tragic COVID-19 pandemic has collateral effects extending beyond
direct viral infection," says Myles Faith, PhD, UB childhood obesity
expert and co- author on the study. "Children and teens struggling with
obesity are placed in an unfortunate position of isolation that appears
to create an unfavorable environment for maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors." "Recognizing these adverse collateral effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown is critical in avoiding the depreciation of hard-fought weight control efforts among youths afflicted with excess weight,"
says Faith, chair and professor of counseling, school and educational psychology in the UB Graduate School of Education.



==========================================================================
The study was led by Steven Heymsfield, MD, professor at the Louisiana
State University Pennington Biomedical Research Center; and Angelo
Pietrobelli, MD, professor at the University of Verona in Italy.

Children and adolescents typically gain more weight during summer vacation
than during the school year, says Faith, which led the researchers
to wonder if being homebound would have a similar effect on the kids'
lifestyle behaviors.

"School environments provide structure and routine around mealtimes,
physical activity and sleep -- three predominant lifestyle factors
implicated in obesity risk," says Faith.

The researchers surveyed 41 children and teens with obesity in Verona,
Italy, who were involved in an ongoing long-term study. Lifestyle
information regarding diet, activity and sleep was collected three
weeks into Italy's mandatory national lockdown and compared to data on
the children gathered in 2019. Questions focused on physical activity,
screen time, sleep, eating habits, and the consumption of red meat,
pasta, snacks, fruits and vegetables.

The results confirmed the negative change in behavior, indicating that
children with obesity fare worse on weight control lifestyle programs
while at home compared to when they are engaged in their school
curriculum.

"Depending on the duration of the lockdown, the excess weight gained may
not be easily reversible and might contribute to obesity during adulthood
if healthier behaviors are not re-established," says Faith. "This is
because childhood and adolescent obesity tend to track over time and
predict weight status as adults." Government officials and policymakers
should consider the potential harmful effects of lockdowns on youths
with obesity when making decisions regarding when and how to loosen restrictions, says Faith.

There is also a need to establish and evaluate telemedicine programs
that encourage families to maintain healthy lifestyle choices during
periods of lockdown, he adds.

Faith and colleagues are conducting an ongoing National Institutes
of Health- funded study that is testing a family-based treatment for
childhood obesity using telemedicine technology that allows participants
to be treated in their homes.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_at_Buffalo. Original
written by Marcene Robinson. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Angelo Pietrobelli, Luca Pecoraro, Alessandro Ferruzzi, Moonseong
Heo,
Myles Faith, Thomas Zoller, Franco Antoniazzi, Giorgio Piacentini,
S.

Nicole Fearnbach, Steven B. Heymsfield. Effects of COVID‐19
Lockdown on Lifestyle Behaviors in Children with Obesity Living in
Verona, Italy: A Longitudinal Study. Obesity, 2020; DOI: 10.1002/
oby.22861 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200603194444.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200603194444.htm

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