Effect of lockdown for COVID-19 on self-reported body weight gain in a sample of obese patients

Objective: the COVID-19 pandemic, by restricting population mobility, may exacerbate the risk factors for weight gain associated with physical inactivity and increased consumption of calorie-dense foods. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the risk factors related to self-reported body weight gain among obese subjects. Methods: the study involved a population of 284 adult obese subjects. After a 7-week confinement period starting on March 17, a telephone interview (May 4 through 7) was conducted. In this phone call, self-reported body weight gain and a number of factors were recorded. In order to obtain the baseline data of this population, biochemical and anthropometric parameters were collected from electronic medical records. Results: mean age was 60.4 +/- 10.8 years (range: 23-71) and mean body mass index (BMI) was 35.4 +/- 4.7 kg/m2 (range: 30.6-41.2). Gender distribution was 211 females (74.3 %) and 73 males (25.7 %). Self-reported body weight gain was 1.62 +/- 0.2 kg. Among patients who reported doing a lot of exercise self-reported body weight gain was lower (1.62 +/- 0.2 vs 1.12 +/- 0.3 kg; p = 0.02). Regarding eating habits, patients recognized snacking in 17 % of the sample. Patients who reported snacking had higher self-reported body weight gains (2.60 +/- 0.36 vs 1.30 +/- 0.17 kg; p = 0.001). The remaining variables did not influence self-reported body weight gain. In the multiple regression analysis with self-reported body weight gain as dependent variable, adjusted for age, sex, and physical activity, the snaking habit remained a risk factor: beta = 1.21 (95 % CI: 1.11-2.13; p = 0.01). Conclusions: the lockdown decreed during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has produced an increase in self-reported body weight among obese subjects, which was related to the habit of taking snacks.