Originally published in Hideaway Lake New on April 2, 2021
As more and more high risk people get vaccinated and COVID-19 deaths decrease across the country, we realize that the virus is not the only thing killing people out there. In our urgency to fight this new disease, we have forgotten the old ones that continue to threaten us just as much.
We heard about the “quarantine 15” like the “freshman 15”, as people started gaining weight when they sheltered at home during lockdowns. However, after one year of drastically changed lives, it is no longer just a matter of the “quarantine 15”. A new survey of over 3000 people reported an average gain of 29 pounds during the one year since the pandemic started. 10% of people reported a gain of more than 50 pounds!
We know that even a 5-10% increase in weight above normal puts us at increased risk for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. So the large weight gains seen here are very disturbing as they could bring on a host of other chronic diseases that people will have to battle all their lives. Such rapid gains in weight often point to a combination of psychological and physical stressors, which is exactly what all of us have faced during the pandemic. Some more than others.
Many of us worked from home, often in front of computers for hours on end. When we finished work, we just moved in front of the television or got on our phones. These were the only options for entertainment as people were encouraged to stay home to reduce the spread of the virus. We stopped going to gyms, crowded walking trails and playgrounds.
Several of us turned to cooking and baking as we had more time on our hands that we would otherwise spend on commutes. And we couldn’t share these goodies with anybody else due to gathering restrictions, so we ate it all ourselves! We were scared, lonely, bored, and many of us were clinically depressed. So we turned to food and alcohol to comfort us, old frenemies that fill our needs when our real friends cannot.
We wore pyjamas, leggings and t-shirts since we didn’t need to dress for work. The elastic and stretch in our comfort clothes didn’t alert us to our expanding waistlines. It’s not until now, when restrictions are easing and we’re trying to get back into work clothes, that we realize how none of those clothes fit us. Many of us missed our annual physical with our doctors, so we may not know if our blood pressure, cholesterol or sugar have increased along with our weight.
This is a wakeup call. Not to start obsessively weighing ourselves and counting every calorie and carb that goes into our mouths. But to get up off the couch, turn off the TV, clean out our pantry of all the junk food, and replenish our refrigerator with fresh fruits and vegetables. Find our walking shoes and get back into our daily exercise routine. Take the first steps to improving our mood, getting better sleep, eating more whole foods, being more physically active and reconnecting safely again with our loved ones.
Wishing us all good health and happiness. Healthy ways to get back into shape coming soon