Message Boards› Debate: Health and Fitness
wmd1979
Member Posts: 469 Member
Member Posts: 469 Member
How does Covid-19 affect Obesity epidemic?
wmd1979
Member Posts: 469 Member
Member Posts: 469 Member
So my gym closed due to the pandemic which I pretty much expected, and obviously the first question in my head was what I was going to do to supplement lack of gym time. I have stayed active by playing basketball in the driveway with my daughters, and kickboxing in the basement, however when we are being told to literally "sit on our butts" and people are stocking up with food and other supplies, my first inclination is that others aren't going to be as active. I feel like those who make it a priority to be active will still find ways to do that...however, I feel like those who sometimes struggle to stay motivated can easily find the pandemic as an excuse to literally just "sit on the couch". I'm not judging anyone one way or the other and I don't want to turn this into an excuse to shame people for following directions, but I guess the question that first popped into my head when we were all told to sit on the couch was, is this going to just make us unhealthy in other ways? I know this is a sensitive topic, and I truly hope that each and every one of you stays safe and healthy. Its a crazy time and its having a dramatic affect on a lot of people. To summarize, I know this pandemic is affecting us all in ways that we may not even realize right now. Do you think that it will also negatively affect the obesity epidemic(as I feel it will), or am I not having enough faith in humanity?
Replies
Your response doesn't really address the point of my post. Of course the fork matters, however, are people going to be less active now because of this pandemic than they were before? The calories being delivered by the fork can stay the same, but if activity level decreases then CO does as well which affects weight.
[edited by MFP Mods]
I have three daughters within the ages of 3-7 and they are out of school for at least 4 weeks and I am forced to work remote. I feel your pain, and feel like this last six days has seemed like months. Climb the walls. Dance to stupid music. Do whatever you have to to entertain yourself. I watched Gonoodle with my ladies this morning and did the most unattractive dance ever to "peanut butter in a cup, we sing this song to pump us up!" and that seemed to entertain them until they were ready for lunch. Fortunately, its now spring in Iowa, and we can go outside and play basketball and softball in the yard. Still, the fact that we are restricted to not go anywhere literally makes me want to go everywhere. I feel like we are in a good place though with a large yard and plenty of activities and I just really feel for those people cooped up in small apartments with few options. Thats part of why I think this whole thing is going to be so hard for people...not everyone is as fortunate as I am, and if you are lacking of space, its going to take a concerted effort for you to maintain the same activity level.
It’s been just rainy enough to be nasty here. Cold enough to wear a jacket, but then you start walking, get warm, want to take it off, but it’s raining, so you leave it on.
Supposed to be like this for the next few days.
But you’re right. I need to turn on some good music and just start moving! My grandkids and I like the Macarena!
But maybe others who normally work long office hours will go on walks ( which are allowed as long as social distancing) do gardening, home projects etc and actually increase their activity level
yes of course theoretically we could all adjust our fork to our new activity level - that wasnt really the question though.
It occurs to me that another side effect of isolation, for some people, might be losing motivation for weight loss - especially if their motivation came from group settings as it does for many people.
Main reason WW is so popular IMO is the social support groups give people.
[edited by MFP Mods]
Stay safe y’all, do YouTube videos, take a walk or run outside, do body weight exercises, learn some new dance moves. Think of all the extra free time you have not commuting to work!
Speaking for myself I went for a 9 mile run today, but encountered too many people at the park so I’m going to be limited to running my neighborhood from now on, which is pretty dreary. But better than being on a ventilator.
Personally I am having a hard time being as active: I usually get 5-6000 steps from walking to and from work, and now I just take one flight of stairs to sit behind my desk. And it's way harder not to indulge in snacks, having food so close by, as opposed to being in the office with only those foods I planned to eat.
It takes a lot more commitment to get those steps in and stay on track food-wise!
I'm pretty sure I'm fighting Covid19 myself right now. Nothing too severe, but definitely not a good idea to do serious exercise at this point. I'll be pleased when I can exercise again and have a bit more room in my calorie budget for a snack or two (I'm lucky to have a home gym).
Generally speaking, I think most people will indeed move less, but - more importantly - won't eat less (or will even eat more) and waistlines will expand.
All I know is that I am committed to continuing to watching my weight and still staying active during these crazy times.
Stay safe!
I'm trying so hard to resist!! Things I have been doing - logging into MFP like crazy. It really does help me as far as support and knowing that others are coping w/ the same stresses. I'm continuing to log all of my food down to the crumb. I did a Fitness Blender video in my garage last night. (my gym finally closed yesterday) The kids and us have been taking post-dinner family walks, too, just get out of the house. Bonus activity and some bonding time.
Your post is SPOT ON!
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.
I agree. I can still walk or run to keep my calories out close to normal. But I am fortunate to live in an almost perfect climate in the highlands of southern Mexico. Every morning is sunny and cool right now. The afternoons get hot, high 80s to low 90s. So, I just get out in the morning. But for those in more difficult climates, I can't see how NEAT would not be affected and there wouldn't be some weight gain among some number of people.
Whether that results in obesity or not is a question. Weight gain maybe? Some that are on the line may push over it into obesity.
I'm more concerned with my muscle mass and conditioning as that came from weight training and, although I can do some resistance bands and body weight stuff, I'm sure I will detrain somewhat.
People who are already into health and fitness will, for the most part, continue to find ways to stay active and not overeat.
Those who are not will likely end up gaining weight due to being a lot more sedentary, thereby attracting the negative consequences increased body weight brings.
But keeping people as safe as possible from COVID has to be the main priority right now. I guess the world will have to deal with the fallout of a population forced to be more sedentary at some point down the road. But honestly, right now, we've all got bigger fish to air fry.
Yes, since I'm counting calories already and understand how my energy use is tied to my activity, I can pro-actively cut my calories to make sure I'm consuming what I'm needing if I wind up moving less during this period (which I almost certainly will, just because I typically walk to and from work). For an "average" person, if their NEAT suddenly goes down, they're probably not going to automatically start eating less.
Substantially? I think that is overstating.
While obesity affects more people and contributes to more deaths it is not something that just happens overnight. It takes time.
Considering that most weight loss efforts fail without a virus in play and we do not know how long this will go on before life is forced back to normal I think obesity will not be dramatically impacted one way or the other.