The pandemic has changed many things in our lives. One of the things that have changed is diet and eating habits. Changes in diet and eating habits are different for each person. Some people eat different foods than what they used to eat before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there are people who eat more or less food than usual, and there are also people who experience food crises and eating disorders. Here are some of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on diet and eating habits:
- Consume More Food
A study conducted by Kriaucioniene et al and published in the Journal of Nutrients in 2020 showed that 1 in 2 people consumed more food from their diet before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Another study showed that during lockdown conditions, people tend to consume food more frequently than usual. The ease of ordering food from outside is also one of the reasons for the increase in food consumption.
- Consuming Unhealthy Food
Consumption of fried foods, sweet foods, canned foods, and various snacks has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, according to a study conducted by Kriaucioniene, et al, 45% of respondents showed an increase in snack consumption. Meanwhile, according to a study conducted by Ferrante et al. and published in the Journal of Epidemiologia, changes in eating habits to become less healthy are widely reported, especially in women. Three out of ten respondents reported an increase in consumption of unhealthy foods without increasing the types of healthier foods.
During the lockdown, people will eat more at home. However, eating at home doesn't always mean eating healthier foods. There are new habits that are built, such as consuming takeaway food or ordering delivery. Most of the food and drinks obtained from delivery are fast food and sugary drinks.
- Experiencing a Food Crisis
In some areas, food choices and eating habits are affected by the current food crisis. The food crisis occurred due to the decrease in the loss of income for several groups of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This food crisis caused negative changes in food consumption and diet.
This is because people who are experiencing economic hardship due to the pandemic tend to consume less food and choose cheaper foods than usual. In general, the types of foods that are reduced are food groups with more expensive prices, such as meat and other animal proteins.
- Increasing Eating Disorders
People who have a history of eating disorders before the COVID-19 pandemic experience an increasing trend of eating disorders, either by limiting excessive eating (restricting) to eating too much (bingeing) during the pandemic. This is because the state of social distancing makes access to assistance and health services or therapy more difficult.
The rate of eating disorders, either due to restricting or bingeing, is even higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, even for people with no history of eating disorders. One thing that is thought to be the cause is the mental health problems due to increased levels of stress and depression during the pandemic, especially in young adults.
Even so, many people are able to build healthy habits during a pandemic, such as cooking their daily meals, consuming healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, and trying to exercise regularly. Mostly, this is due to awareness of maintaining immunity so that the possibility of getting COVID-19 also decreases. Are you one of them?
Let's take care of our bodies and minds to stay healthy during the pandemic! Read other nutrition and health-related articles on Fitie to increase your knowledge about healthy living.
Sources:
Błaszczyk-Bębenek, E., Jagielski, P., Bolesławska, I., dkk. (2020). Nutrition Behaviors in Polish Adults before and during COVID-19 Lockdown. Nutrients, 12(10), 3084.
Ferrante, G., Camussi, E., Piccinelli, C., dkk. (2020). Did social isolation during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic have an impact on the lifestyles of citizens?. L’isolamento sociale durante l’epidemia da SARS-CoV-2 ha avuto un impatto sugli stili di vita dei cittadini?. Epidemiologia e prevenzione, 44(5-6 Suppl 2), 353–362.
Kriaucioniene, V., Bagdonaviciene, L., Rodríguez-Pérez, C., dkk. Associations between Changes in Health Behaviours and Body Weight during the COVID-19 Quarantine in Lithuania: The Lithuanian COVIDiet Study. Nutrients, 12(10), 3119.
Phillipou, A., Meyer, D., Neill, E., dkk. (2020). Eating and exercise behaviors in eating disorders and the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia: Initial results from the COLLATE project. The International journal of eating disorders, 53(7), 1158–1165.