Summary
Background
The COVID‐19 crisis is likely to have had wide ranging consequences on lifestyle behaviors and may have affected weight management. The objective of the present study was to examine perceptions of how weight‐related lifestyle changed in social lockdown among UK adults compared to before emergence of the COVID‐19 crisis.
Methods
As part of an online cross‐sectional survey conducted during social lockdown in the UK, 723 UK adults reported on the extent to which their eating (healthiness of diet, frequency of bingeing on food), physical activity, sleep and alcohol consumption had changed since the emergence of the COVID‐19 crisis and completed measures of current psychological well‐being.
Results
Although both improvements and declines in weight gain protective behaviors were reported, 79% of participants reported a decline in one or more weight gain protective behavior. Both participants with a diagnosis of psychiatric illness and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) were most likely to report declines in weight gain protective behaviors and show an overall profile of weight management behaviors worsening. Participants experiencing high levels of stress also reported reductions in more weight gain protective behaviors.
Conclusions
Lifestyle behaviors associated with weight gain are likely to have been affected by the COVID‐19 crisis. Reductions to the perceived frequency by which people engage in behaviors usually associated with successful weight management appear to be common and people living with obesity and mental health problems may be at increased risk.