About 42% of Americans reported unwanted weight gain during the coronavirus pandemic, packing on an extra 29 pounds on average, according to survey results from the American Psychological Association.
Changes in daily routine, combined with the added stress of navigating a global health emergency, caused many adults to fall away from their healthy eating and fitness habits, and turn toward less-desirable comfort foods.
Dr. Geri Williams, supervising doctor for Ideal You Health Centers, called it the perfect storm for weight gain.
When we feel stressed, we naturally create higher levels of cortisol and when its elevated, our body is primed for movement, our blood sugar goes up and if were not running it off it stores as fat, she said. So stress alone can make us fatter.
Another thing we do is we get rid of stress by eating ... so stress from changes in lifestyle and all the unknowables created the perfect storm and we made food choices that were not heathy.
With the help of widely available vaccines, COVID-19 cases counts are on the decline and the economy -- along with daily life -- is regaining a sense of normalcy. As a result, many are starting their efforts to regain old healthy habits or begin new ones.
Williams noted a handful of strategies that can help you not just reach your goals, but maintain the lifestyle choices to keep the positive gains. They include:
Another important recommendation is to avoid eating after dark. Williams said the bodys internal clock is typically directed by daylight, meaning during the day the body is designed to look for, eat and digest food and to move around.
Meanwhile, at night, the body undergoes a hormone shift and prepares for rest and repair.
Were hungry and were eating at a time when our body isnt designed to be digesting, Williams said. Food regularly consumed after sunset is generally stored as fat. Simply changing that habit could have a huge impact on people, and that includes alcohol too.
Adding exercise to your daily routine can be beneficial in several ways, including improved strength and circulation. Its valuable for improving your overall health, but Williams noted, When it comes to weight loss, it doesnt tend to cause scale movement as much as the focus on food does.
That notion was echoed by Carrie Holland, a family physician and professor at Michigan State University, who also works as a health and life coach through her business, My Why Fitness.
Exercise and nutrition are both important but for totally different reasons, Holland said. My philosophy is dont use exercise for weight loss; use it for mental health benefits.
The nutrition piece, she said, is the hardest part to implement. Unhealthy eating and drinking can be a coping mechanism for more challenging issues to work through like the anxiety, fear, anger and disappointment that many have felt throughout the pandemic.
But it will also make the biggest difference, Holland said. How do you stop over-eating? .... These habits we developed are now autopilot and to undo it, you have to wake up that part of your brain and pay attention to what youre doing and why. When you reach into the pantry for a bag of chips, ask yourself Why am I doing this? Am I really hungry or is it out of habit?
A lot of Hollands work with her clients in recent months has been not just discussing what are better foods to buy at the grocery store, but discussing the link between mental and physical health.
A lot of diets and exercise plans focus on action -- do this and youll lose weight, she said. What I spend time working on is the thoughts and feelings. It all starts with our brains and if youre not thinking and feeling the right way, it doesnt matter if youre doing the right things, it wont happen.
Some of Hollands tips for developing healthier habits include:
While conditions during the pandemic created opportunity for weight gain, obesity isnt a new challenge for Michigan. In 2015, about 31% of adults in Michigan were obese and 35% were overweight.
The state ranked 32nd in obesity in 2018, reporting slightly higher rates than the national average, according to a federal health survey.
Read more on MLive:
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