Mental stress and eating behavior during the pandemic

02.08.2022 12:05

Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) examined whether nutritional behavior and body weight of adults have changed after more than two years of the pandemic. It turns out: 35 percent of those surveyed have gained weight since the start of the pandemic. However, 15 percent of adults have also lost weight, some significantly, since the beginning of the Corona crisis.

The Else Kröner-Fresenius Center for Nutritional Medicine (EKFZ) at TUM, together with the opinion research institute Forsa, conducted a representative survey of 1000 selected people between the ages of 18 and 70 in Germany using a systematic random procedure. The main focus of the scientists is on the psyche: How is nutritional behavior related to the mental state? In the last year, 42 percent of those surveyed felt somewhat and 20 percent very mentally burdened by the changes related to the Corona situation.

“Change in a direction that is unfavorable from a health perspective”

The majority of those surveyed, around two thirds, stated that their eating habits had not fundamentally changed since the beginning of the pandemic. However, respondents who felt burdened by the Corona situation are more likely to say that their eating habits have changed. “The change is going in an unfavorable direction from a health perspective,” says Professor Dr. med. Hans Hauner, nutritional doctor at TUM and head of the EKFZ.

35 percent of all respondents stated that they had gained weight compared to the time before the corona pandemic - an average of 6.5 kilograms. 30- to 44-year-olds and those with a higher level of formal education are more likely than average to say that their weight has increased. This also applies to respondents who exercised less than before the corona pandemic, as well as to those who felt psychologically burdened by the pandemic last year.

Almost a third of those surveyed stated that they eat more and more often. These are usually foods such as confectionery, sweet baked goods, snack items or fast food. This poor food choice was noticeably more common among adults who felt psychologically stressed than among those without stress. The psychological stress is accompanied by a change in eating behavior, but according to the survey, 20 percent of the mentally stressed respondents also eat healthier than before.

An increase in weight-related and lifestyle-related diseases is to be feared

“Unfortunately, many people have not managed to keep their weight under control during the corona pandemic,” says nutritionist Hauner. He fears that this will lead to an increase in weight-related and lifestyle-related diseases in the coming years. “It is to be expected that we will soon see an increase in new cases of type 2 diabetes.” As a short-term countermeasure, Hauner recommends informing people about these connections and offering concrete help if they wish. “Many people with a weight problem need outside help. Health policy could launch campaigns to activate people.”

15 percent of those surveyed have reduced their weight - on average by 7.9 kilograms. “This is consistent with the results of other studies,” explains Professor Dr. med. Martina de Zwaan, head of the Clinic for Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at the Hanover Medical School. “This may indicate a healthier lifestyle: life was less hectic, people had more time to cook for themselves and engage in healthy eating.”

What is striking is that a high proportion of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 (19 percent) and participants with a body mass index of less than 20 (18 percent) lost weight. “There are also studies that clearly show that eating disorders have increased during the pandemic,” says de Zwaan. This is due to the reduced opportunity to do sport, the loss of familiar and supportive structures, social isolation, general insecurity, an increase in depression and psychological stress, but also a possible increased consumption of social media and thus more frequent confrontation with thinness ideals and weight stigmas returned.

Due to the different behavioral patterns in the corona pandemic, both experts also recommend better information and, in particular, individual solutions through nutritional advice.