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How does Covid-19 affect Obesity epidemic?
Replies
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I don’t know where you’re located, but I’ve not heard ANYONE say “literally sit on your butt.” We have been told not to congregate and to keep our distance from others. We are encouraged to exercise outside, keeping distance from others. The spring weather where I am makes it easier to get out. People forget how much harder this would have been a couple months ago, in rain, snow, and cold in many areas.
Many gyms and fitness companies are streaming free workouts. You can do these, keeping your distance from others. Many people have more time to exercise because they don’t have to commute to work or attend an endless calendar of activities.
Try to make the best of it!8 -
I think we'll have two camps.
Group #1: One is that population of folks who now have more time (since they don't need to commute) to go outside for long walks, hikes, runs. I see a ton of new faces in my neighborhood. These folks may also feel exercise gives their immune system a boost, helps to reverse pre-diabetes, reduce obesity, etc, giving them a sense of doing something to help improve their health. This group will get healthier and figure out ways to do many exercises at home that don't require equipment. Even if just pushups, crunches and planks. Also, this group will lose weight since they don't go to bars and restaurants like they used to. This group of folks will see health improvements.
Group #2: The other group will try to feed (and drink) to remedy their anxiety and depression. Only to eventually find that it doesn't really work. Alcohol increases anxiety and depression after it wears off. Alcohol makes many people binge eat too or eat mindlessly and helps fuel obesity. They rely on food to get that next dopamine hit.This group of folks will have health declines.
So, where will the majority of folks land? I hope it would be Group #1. Not optimistic about this. We need stronger nationwide and local promotion and guidance for people needing behavioral support in making the better choices.
We will have better Covid outcomes if people get to work on improving their health ASAP - even if small steps taken - manage their blood sugar better by diet and exercise - improve their breathing capacity - practice daily relaxation techniques, focus on good nutrition. I wish drinkers would start drinking less, smokers start smoking less, snackers quit snacking after dinner, and people start moving, starting now.....
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globalhiker wrote: »I think we'll have two camps.
Group #1: One is that population of folks who now have more time (since they don't need to commute) to go outside for long walks, hikes, runs.
I normally ride or run (road) everyday after work, but yesterday evening, I got a 7 mile trail run in before twilight somewhere I never would have been able to normally, especially not this early in spring... Kind of loving the new rush hour (lack of) traffic.
(defense sector manufacturing falls under the NYS order's essential list, and lab equipment can't be operated from home; but it looks like most everyone else in my city is either "non-essential" or computer jobs).2 -
I have a lot more time for myself, and at home workouts are a big priority. I am always saying I'm too busy to go to the gym - well, I don't have that problem anymore. And as someone mentioned above, with restaurants and bars closed, I am eating more home-cooked meals and that is also helping. And I guess for me the third aspect is that the priority right now is all about health. So I am more focused on purchasing healthy ingredients and finding it much easier to leave the 'processed'/unhealthier options out of the trolley.
I would like to hope that many other people are also focused on personal health right now as a consequence of this.0 -
If people are committed to making a change, they'll find a way, even though the changes.
That being said, NO ONE should feel like it's something they need to be doing right now. I didn't realize how much I needed my routine until it was taken from me. I'm still tracking food, but my focus has become making sure I'm hitting macronutrient, nothing else. If I gain weight, cool. If I lose weight, cool. I'm working on getting through this and no one should feel bad if that's all they're capable of doing.6 -
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I live in a tiny flat with no outdoor space. I've just had the virus so don't feel like exercising yet. I also don't feel like eating but once I do I have no room to do anything except run on the spot asI have to have my bed in the living room due to lack of space. Pre lockdown I walked at least 15 miles every other day and 5-6 on the day inbetween. I had a strenous job too. That's suspended for now. We can still go out for short walks but it's not the same. I've cut calories to allow for lack of exercise. My tips are:-
Do not baked. You will think the family will eat it but in my experience mine don't. I end up eating it.
Only cook enough for the meal you are having. Leftovers are just as wasted in our bodies as the bin.
Don't buy food or drink treats to cheer yourself up.
Get dressed each day in fitted clothes. It's too easy to slob around in nightwear and not notice the waistline is getting tighter. Done that lol.
Easter is coming. I have only bought eggs for my kids and told them to take them to their rooms.
If you still have a fruit market open take advantage of it. I buy fruit snacks and plenty of fresh veg to go with staples like pasta and pototoes on my essential shop trip. Our market also delivers.
Exercise if you can.
Spend time on indoor hobbies to take your mind off food.2 -
I see a LOT more people out jogging and walking in my neighborhood since the stay at home order. I can pretty much tell which ones are normally at the gym by the fact I have never seen them out before and how good a shape they appear to be in. So I suspect folks who are dedicated will find a way!2
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SummerSkier wrote: »I see a LOT more people out jogging and walking in my neighborhood since the stay at home order. I can pretty much tell which ones are normally at the gym by the fact I have never seen them out before and how good a shape they appear to be in. So I suspect folks who are dedicated will find a way!
Yes, I see a lot more people walking and running on the streets as well.0 -
psychod787 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »
This is what happens for us who want to stay busy when they close the gyms...
Of course, my mind immediately went elsewhere.
Where?:devil:
Well, he's clearly right-handed for starters.
Uhh.... if we are going where I think we are going, I wouldn't have any callouses...🤣
We thought you got busy enough to get callouses 1 -
Haven't read many of the replies and I've never stepped into a gym but I have to tell you, stress eating has gone through the roof about 3 out of every 7 days for me lately.
Eating is my feel-good drug and I have got to snap out of it pretty soon or I'll be up 20 lbs. Along with eating the feeling of 'why bother' is returning. NOT a good combination.
I started tele-health therapy last week and am finding it very helpful.
It's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy based, same as this:
The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person
Can thinking and eating like a thin person be learned, similar to learning to drive or use a computer? Beck (Cognitive Therapy for Challenging Problems) contends so, based on decades of work with patients who have lost pounds and maintained weight through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Beck's six-week program adapts CBT, a therapeutic system developed by Beck's father, Aaron, in the 1960s, to specific challenges faced by yo-yo dieters, including negative thinking, bargaining, emotional eating, bingeing, and eating out. Beck counsels readers day-by-day, introducing new elements (creating advantage response cards, choosing a diet, enlisting a diet coach, making a weight-loss graph) progressively and offering tools to help readers stay focused (writing exercises, to-do lists, ways to counter negative thoughts). There are no eating plans, calorie counts, recipes or exercises; according to Beck, any healthy diet will work if readers learn to think differently about eating and food. Beck's book is like an extended therapy session with a diet coach. (Apr.)
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NorthCascades wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »I'm one of those in an extremely small space. My condo is a one bedroom, just under 700 sq feet. If I push all the furniture in the living room as far back as it will go, I can fit a yoga mat in longways, but can't spread my arms fully out to the sides. I don't really know much about what's on YouTube, but I know that's not enough room for things I used to do in aerobics type classes back in the day. I thought this would be a good time to start C25K or something, but they're predicting 4-6" of snow tomorrow and Friday, so that option seems to have disappeared as well for the time being. Luckily, stress goes right to my stomach, so too many calories has not yet been a concern for me.
Don't know where you are but in most of the US 4-6 inches of snow this time of year will be gone fast. Do you have anything preventing you from walking if there is a bit of snow on the ground?
Good luck.
It mostly depends on whether people get their walks shoveled in a timely fashion. I live in an old neighborhood where most of the sidewalks are broken up and uneven from tree roots and stuff. If it’s snow covered and icy, it’s more treacherous than productive. It’s supposed to snow through Friday, so hopefully it will melt off quickly. I still hate doing it alone. It honestly doesn’t matter if I’m inside or out, it’s the deafening isolation that’s already getting to me.
Microspikes and Yaktrax are great in snow and ice.
The usual problem where I live with running on the sidewalks much of the winter is that you get a stretch of pavement followed by a stretch (or even just various patches) of ice followed by perhaps some snow (since people did a bad job shoveling) and so on. I have Yaktrax but haven't really used them since my understanding has been that they wouldn't be good on the pavement parts. Am I wrong? It's late enough in the year that I'm not worried about it (knock on wood), but that ice/pavement/ice/pavement type of condition is the main thing that keeps me from running outside more consistently in the winter.
I have Microspikes, I've worn them on hikes with snow and intermittent melted out rock. I've walked over plenty of bare ground with them because I'm lazy enough not to keep taking them on and off. It's not ideal, but it's workable. It'll eventually grind them down, but there's a lot of metal so it'll take a very long time. I haven't worn Yaktrax personally, I have a friend that likes hers, that's as much as I can really say.
I wouldn't want to run in them just because it's more weight on your feet. My friend does it. I was responding because it sounded like people think they can't even go out and walk if there's snow and ice.
Yes, I do different things in different gear depending on the conditions. Dry, muddy, a little snow, a lot of snow, slushy snow, snoe-showing snoe...
Drat, I only got to go snow shoeing once this winter 1 -
psychod787 wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »I think active, diet conscious folks will find ways to eat decent and move. People who don't care, won't. That's just the way it is. Where there is a will, there is a way.
I don't think it is that simple. Habits are reinforced in repetition and if a person is just starting they may be substantially more vulnerable to a sudden upset in routine. I am fortunate to have 2 years under my belt. I have self-studied quite a bit and been able to put most of my old incorrect thinking aside. My dietary routine is almost rock solid. I face an occasional crack in the dam but it never lasts long.
Yes. Habits are important. That is why I tell people who ask me for advice, a clean food environment is one of the best things one can do. A quote I love about personal choice.
A King may move a man, a father may claim a son, but remember that even when those who move you be Kings, or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus." Or that, "Virtue was not convenient at the time." This will not suffice. Remember that.
We can't control what the weather, government, and others do. We can only decide what we do and how we choose to deal with obstacles..
I've been listening to the "Half Size Me" podcast for a few months and am really enjoying her special Coronavirus episode from last week. She hammers on creating new habits and controlling what we can control.
https://www.halfsizeme.com/bonus-episode-how-to-survive-and-thrive-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
In this BONUS episode of The Half Size Me™ Show, Heather shares a recent webinar she recorded where she talks about- how to survive and thrive during the Coronavirus pandemic
- what activities you can do if you’re kids are at home with your
- how to deal with working from home and the temptations you’ll face
- and more!
Get your FREE “Survive and Thrive: A Resource Guide To Help Keep You Sane, Healthy, and Grateful During The Coronavirus Pandemic” HERE!
About Half Size Me
The Half Size Me™ Show is a weekly podcast. It will inspire and motivate you no matter where you are in your weight loss journey. Whether you’re just getting started losing weight or having worked on your health and wellness for years, this show is for you!
Half Size Me is hosted by Heather Robertson, who lost over 170 pounds. Heather did it by learning new eating habits, getting regular exercise, and changing her mindset. Heather shares her own lessons and struggles with you, and she shows you how to handle the real challenge of any weight loss journey… weight maintenance.1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »SummerSkier wrote: »I see a LOT more people out jogging and walking in my neighborhood since the stay at home order. I can pretty much tell which ones are normally at the gym by the fact I have never seen them out before and how good a shape they appear to be in. So I suspect folks who are dedicated will find a way!
Yes, I see a lot more people walking and running on the streets as well.
joggers are being arrested in my country. Walking and jogging outside for exercise is forbidden.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »SummerSkier wrote: »I see a LOT more people out jogging and walking in my neighborhood since the stay at home order. I can pretty much tell which ones are normally at the gym by the fact I have never seen them out before and how good a shape they appear to be in. So I suspect folks who are dedicated will find a way!
Yes, I see a lot more people walking and running on the streets as well.
joggers are being arrested in my country. Walking and jogging outside for exercise is forbidden.
What country are you in?1 -
I didn't really have any problem with being active. I set up a budget home gym from day 0. Resistance Bands, Jump Rope, Yoga Mat, Couple Dumbbells and Bodyweight offers a pretty versatile workout. I will likely buy me a pullup/dip tower when I have cash on hand.
Honestly obesity is often a mental problem as much as physical. If they're going in half booty; then chances are they were going to loose motivation at some point. Of course the boredom from all that extra time; may actually have the opposite effect for some.
Running is far from the only way to workout. Bodyweight circuits can be a very torturous cardio exercise done right. The basic Squat actually has quite a high MET value. Alternate with jumping jacks/Standing Bicycle Crunches; you could probably burn 100-150 calories in ten minutes.0 -
I'm still doing most of the exercise from before - running and fitnessblender videos. Only climbing is put on hold for now.
The main change for me is non-exercise activity: I usually get 6000-8000 steps at work. In the home office, it's about 25% of that. And only that much because I have set up hourly reminders to get up and move a few steps. Of course, moving a few steps leads me by the kitchen, so it's easy to grab a quick snack...
In the first two weeks of home office I gained some weight. I'm paying more attention now, but it takes a while to find a good new balance!
I can imagine that that has an impact on other people too. If you spend 23+ hours per day inside a little apartment, you might stick to doing exercise an hour a day, but the base activity will likely drop compared to pre-Corona life.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »I think active, diet conscious folks will find ways to eat decent and move. People who don't care, won't. That's just the way it is. Where there is a will, there is a way.
I don't think it is that simple. Habits are reinforced in repetition and if a person is just starting they may be substantially more vulnerable to a sudden upset in routine. I am fortunate to have 2 years under my belt. I have self-studied quite a bit and been able to put most of my old incorrect thinking aside. My dietary routine is almost rock solid. I face an occasional crack in the dam but it never lasts long.
Yes. Habits are important. That is why I tell people who ask me for advice, a clean food environment is one of the best things one can do. A quote I love about personal choice.
A King may move a man, a father may claim a son, but remember that even when those who move you be Kings, or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus." Or that, "Virtue was not convenient at the time." This will not suffice. Remember that.
We can't control what the weather, government, and others do. We can only decide what we do and how we choose to deal with obstacles..
I've been listening to the "Half Size Me" podcast for a few months and am really enjoying her special Coronavirus episode from last week. She hammers on creating new habits and controlling what we can control.
https://www.halfsizeme.com/bonus-episode-how-to-survive-and-thrive-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
In this BONUS episode of The Half Size Me™ Show, Heather shares a recent webinar she recorded where she talks about- how to survive and thrive during the Coronavirus pandemic
- what activities you can do if you’re kids are at home with your
- how to deal with working from home and the temptations you’ll face
- and more!
Get your FREE “Survive and Thrive: A Resource Guide To Help Keep You Sane, Healthy, and Grateful During The Coronavirus Pandemic” HERE!
About Half Size Me
The Half Size Me™ Show is a weekly podcast. It will inspire and motivate you no matter where you are in your weight loss journey. Whether you’re just getting started losing weight or having worked on your health and wellness for years, this show is for you!
Half Size Me is hosted by Heather Robertson, who lost over 170 pounds. Heather did it by learning new eating habits, getting regular exercise, and changing her mindset. Heather shares her own lessons and struggles with you, and she shows you how to handle the real challenge of any weight loss journey… weight maintenance.
Damn... should have bought lotion as an essential supply.... lol
I have listened to her podcast. I agree with many things she says, but I am more interested in the science of obesity....JoeyTheWanderer wrote: »I didn't really have any problem with being active. I set up a budget home gym from day 0. Resistance Bands, Jump Rope, Yoga Mat, Couple Dumbbells and Bodyweight offers a pretty versatile workout. I will likely buy me a pullup/dip tower when I have cash on hand.
Honestly obesity is often a mental problem as much as physical. If they're going in half booty; then chances are they were going to loose motivation at some point. Of course the boredom from all that extra time; may actually have the opposite effect for some.
Running is far from the only way to workout. Bodyweight circuits can be a very torturous cardio exercise done right. The basic Squat actually has quite a high MET value. Alternate with jumping jacks/Standing Bicycle Crunches; you could probably burn 100-150 calories in ten minutes.
I will say "obesity" is more of an imbalance of our ancient brains in a modern environment. Yes, doing circuit training is good, but if someone destroys themselves doing high intensity circuit training, and then sits around because they are exhausted, it defeats the purpose. I am a bigger believer in SS cardio. Walking is amazing. Increasing NEAT can increase calorie burns far more tha circuit training.6 -
My younger cat is not obese (nor is my older one), but coronavirus is going to improve his fitness, as now that I'm home during the day he can harass me at all times to repeatedly throw his favorite toy for him to fetch, something he seems never to bore of.6
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My younger cat is not obese (nor is my older one), but coronavirus is going to improve his fitness, as now that I'm home during the day he can harass me at all times to repeatedly throw his favorite toy for him to fetch, something he seems never to bore of.
My OH's driving range is closed. He used to go hit balls most days when it's warmer than 50 degrees but not excessively hot. Our back yard is WAY too small for him to hit regular golf balls, so he's made balls out of duct tape, which don't go very far. Our cat loves to chase them. He doesn't fetch though, just pounces.8 -
My cat fetches, but very often he fails to bring the toy back to me 100%, especially after the 3rd or so throw. And then he gets in my face and meows until I give up and look around and find the toy, walk to get it, and then throw it again. And like I said, he never tires of this. The toy was lost for a while, he found it today, and he was been begging me to throw his toy basically all day. I love him, but most of the day (when not playing fetch with him), I was setting him next to my other cat (who was sleeping) and saying "kitty, you need a nap!" Finally now he's sleeping.4
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My cat fetches, but very often he fails to bring the toy back to me 100%, especially after the 3rd or so throw. And then he gets in my face and meows until I give up and look around and find the toy, walk to get it, and then throw it again. And like I said, he never tires of this. The toy was lost for a while, he found it today, and he was been begging me to throw his toy basically all day. I love him, but most of the day (when not playing fetch with him), I was setting him next to my other cat (who was sleeping) and saying "kitty, you need a nap!" Finally now he's sleeping.
Wait, @lemurcat2 has a cat? Is this like that crazy Disney thing where Goofy is a dog who talks and wears clothes, and Pluto is a dog that barks and just wears a collar?
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »My cat fetches, but very often he fails to bring the toy back to me 100%, especially after the 3rd or so throw. And then he gets in my face and meows until I give up and look around and find the toy, walk to get it, and then throw it again. And like I said, he never tires of this. The toy was lost for a while, he found it today, and he was been begging me to throw his toy basically all day. I love him, but most of the day (when not playing fetch with him), I was setting him next to my other cat (who was sleeping) and saying "kitty, you need a nap!" Finally now he's sleeping.
Wait, @lemurcat2 has a cat? Is this like that crazy Disney thing where Goofy is a dog who talks and wears clothes, and Pluto is a dog that barks and just wears a collar? 0 -
I gave you an insightful, Lynn. ;-)4
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It’s hard to say. If you are talking about obesity as a whole and not just those who are obses and taking steps to change that then I think it would stay the same.
It may help people who aren’t intentially trying to become healthier as they may be eating out less frequently. I don’t think gyms being closed will make a difference in the epidemic because people aren’t suddenly becoming less active...they are obese because of food choices and lack of activity in their daily lives(if they don’t have any other medical conditions)already.
I think it may slow down people who were starting to get healthy and who depended on the gym for activity but those who are really dedicated will workout at home. Especially when so many places are offereing at home sessions and youtube has many workouts
So all this may just keep the levels the same
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I'm moving less, but i also seem to be eating less, so no difference here.1
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I sat in my car in the park today and people watched. I saw people who quite obviously never saw the inside of a gym. I saw gym rats. I saw one woman jogging and people walking and passing her. I saw one woman running, stopping to talk a minute to whoever would talk to her. I saw a boy, 10 or 12, riding his bike, stopping every time he got too close to whoever was in front of him and waiting until the person behind him got close, then riding again. There were lots of people fishing in the tiny lake/pond. Everyone leaving said they didn’t catch anything, but people just kept coming to fish anyway. There were a couple of hard core frisby players.
Everyone I saw was smiling, happy, cordial to others, keeping distance between people.
I didn’t see a single mask.3 -
While lack of actual lifting weights, going to classes, etc. means NOT doing activity they prefer, it DOESN'T mean that they can't be active. Think about it. Day to day, the excuse for a lot of overweight/obese non active people is LACK OF TIME. Well for many, that's not a valid excuse. They now have more than 10 times the amount of time to be able to exercise and you really only need one hour. So I don't really buy the debate that it affects obesity. Rather that if people are getting more overweight, it's more due to lacking the discipline in the first place.
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