These days with COVID-19 stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders some people are starting to feel a bit weighed down in many ways. A new phrase has been coined and circulating on social media known as “The Quarantine 15.” Whereas instead of putting weight on while going off to college, “the Freshman 15,” the concern nowadays is gaining weight during the COVID-19 pandemic. With gyms closed and stress-induced baking becoming the perfect recipe for gaining weight while at home, it comes as no surprise that people are packing on some extra pounds.
Home offices are now within walking distance to the kitchen and refrigerator and many people find themselves snacking on more carbs and sweets throughout the day. Stress eating, emotional eating, or simply boredom can all sabotage even your most well-intentioned weight loss efforts. As days mesh together and people find themselves grabbing the cookies and ice cream to cope with the global pandemic, health experts and dietitians recommend that people continue to make smart choices at the store and in the kitchen in order to avoid unintentional weight gain during this crisis. So, what can you do to prevent the extra pounds? Stay on course with your weight loss program plan and attend your telehealth appointments.
Your Medi-Weightloss® provider can help you stay on course while you stay at home. Personal accountability toward your weight loss goals is always important, but even more important during times of uncertainty and stress. It may seem like a futile practice to put in place when there may be many potential temptations around the house, so continue to make wise grocery purchases, exercise, cook nutritious meals, or acquire Medi-Weightloss® products online or through curbside pickup (at participating locations). Physical activity is still important in order to minimize stress and preserve lean muscle mass, thus it should be continued within the home or outside so long as you are following proper social distancing measures. The goal here is to reduce the urge to stay sedentary too long and curb further inactivity that contributes to weight gain and obesity.
Researchers have known for quite some time that obesity is a contributor to inflammation in the body that in turn impacts your immune health. New evidence regarding COVID-19 indicates that obesity is an independent risk factor in COVID-19 infections and may be contributing to increased negative health outcomes. Researchers at NYU Langone Health Center conducted the largest study to date on 4,100 COVID-19 patients. They found that obesity alongside age is the biggest deciding factor in hospital admissions. There are several theories that scientists are currently investigating that will shed more light on the connection between having obesity and the complications that arise from it while being infected with the novel coronavirus. So why contribute to this risk when you can prevent it through continued weight loss and healthy living?
Also, keep in mind that stay-at-home quarantine provides all of us with an opportunity to appreciate what we have, even the small things, and mental health is also key in order to stay more grounded. Make sure you speak to your Medi-Weightloss® provider about your weight loss challenges so that they may continue to personalize your plan given your unique circumstances at home. Staying active and healthy even during a pandemic will not only prevent “The Quarantine 15”, but also give you additional health benefits that would also minimize the risk of complications to not only chronic diseases (heart disease, type 2 diabetes etc.), but also infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Reference: Petrilli, C.M., Jones, S.A., Yang, J., Rajagopalan, H., O’Donnell, L., Chernyak, Y., . . .Horwitz, L.I. (in press). Factors associated with hospitalization and critical illness among 4,103 patients with Covid-19 disease in New York City. Retrieved (2020, April 20) from https://www.physiciansweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020.04.08.20057794v1.full_.pdf