Not surprisingly, along with the increase in mental health sickness as a result of the national lockdown, people are reporting spikes in physical health issues as well. A few key facts from a survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Onepoll and commissioned by the health advocacy website “Naked Nutrition”:
- About half said they will never get their pre-quarantine bodies back.
- The average American has put on about five pounds since lockdowns were ordered.
- Almost two-thirds feel less healthy now than a few months ago – the main reasons being lack of exercise and eating unhealthy foods.
- Of the vast majority surveyed, about 70 percent did not think home workouts were as effective as the health routines they had before the shutdown.
It should be noted that according to Sustain, a non-profit alliance for better food and farming, “Junk food companies are coming up with innovative ways to sell junk food to us during lockdown.” The group’s Children’s Food Campaign Coordinator Fran Bernhardt notes:
“Brands are seizing this moment to build brand loyalty from children. While busy parents are juggling working from home with childcare responsibilities, brands have started offering themselves as babysitters.
Milkybar introduced its #80AwesomeThingsToDo in mid-April. Around the same time, McDonald’s launched their new ‘family fun hub’ – filled with children’s ebooks, activities and games featuring children’s cartoons and of course, that red and yellow children’s meal box synonymous with the brand.
Deliveroo has started quizzes featuring questions about their service, while Krispy Kreme #DesignForDoughnations competition harnesses flourishing lockdown artistry via drawing their next doughnut.”
TRENDPOST: In previous issues of the Trends Journal, we have reported that sales of big brand highly processed foods, canned goods, and soda are on the rise.
It should be noted that after elder care and death of patients with previous chronic conditions, studies confirm people with obesity and Type 2 diabetes are among the highest at risk to die from coronavirus.
Thus, eating large portions of unhealthy junk foods as they are locked down puts more people, young and old, at greater COVID and other health risks:
“Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, but today more children are being diagnosed with the disorder, probably due to the rise in childhood obesity. There’s no cure for type 2 diabetes, but losing weight, eating well and exercising can help manage the disease.” – Mayo Clinic