Science and technology UK (Commonwealth Union) – The scars of the covid19 pandemic continue to claim its victims with new research showing that the pandemic may have also led to individuals with obesity having increased vulnerability to the cost-of-living crisis.
Researchers from the University College London (UCL) found in a survey for adults with obesity, that their mental health known to be linked to their weight gain had deteriorated between the end of the UK’s 1st COVID-19 lockdown in July 2020 and September 2021.
The number of individuals having difficulty getting affordable, nutritious food was also significantly increased among this group when the pandemic occurred as opposed to those found in the general population.
The results serve as a red flag in regard to the possible impact of the increasing cost of living on individuals with the disease, as reflected in the study. The researchers called for more support for people living with obesity, to tackle the continuing effects on their mental health and food poverty in the long run.
The study was published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and was carried out with an online survey of 1,187 adults having obesity in the UK regarding their mental health, food insecurity and loneliness.
Roughly 47.3% of those who took part in the study indicated that their mental health had worsened over that period. Almost 32.6% indicated that they had sought medical help regarding their mental health. Around 32.4% indicated facing moderately severe to severe depression.
The food insecurity that was evaluated with a questionnaire regarding food they purchased or consumed as the research proceeded. They also saw deterioration for some, with 3.1% stating at times they did not eat for a whole day as they couldn’t afford food. Significantly less food security was noted in 8.1%, that was almost 3 times more than the levels reported in the general population prior to the pandemic.
Lead author of the study, Dr Adrian Brown of the UCL Centre for Obesity Research, says “Our findings suggest that people living with obesity were disproportionately impacted at a time when mental health and food security was declining for everyone during the pandemic.”
“We are now entering another period where we are seeing large numbers of people experiencing food poverty, and in some cases, making a choice between buying food or having the heating on. Our findings indicate that people living with obesity will need greater support.”
The impact of obesity is around 28% for adults in England, 25% in Wales and 29% for adults in Scotland. Through the pandemic, individuals having obesity were urged to protect themselves by blocking close contact with others due to the higher risk posed to them from the virus.
Possibly as a result the study indicated roughly 61.7% of the participants in the UCL study stated they had felt lonely between March 2020 to September 2021, with 27.4% indicated increased loneliness, at levels that were more than those noted in other general population surveys.
The research follows prior studies by the same team that focused on the mental health of individuals with obesity when the 1st COVID-19 lockdown took place in the UK between March 2020 and July 2020.
Professor Rachel Batterham of the UCL Division of Medicine, leading the UCL Centre for Obesity Research and the UCLH Centre for Weight Management, as well as senior author for the studies, says “Adults with obesity are twice as likely to die as the result of a COVID-19 infection in England than those without, but our results show that poorer mental health has been another hidden health concern for this group of people.”
The current economic crisis that was largely a result of the pandemic has also put a severe strain on the health of the most vulnerable according to numerous reports, which together with this study highlight the importance of paying more attention to the impact the pandemic has had on general health.
