Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Lifestyle Behaviors in Children with Obesity Living in Verona, Italy: A Longitudinal Study

AUTHORS

Lockdown creates a uniquely obesogenic environment in that consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages is coupled with excess screen time and limited opportunities for physical activity.
Provisioning of fresh foods in the home and structured opportunities for exercise should be encouraged.

Findings

1. Recognizing the collateral effects of lockdown on obesity-promoting lifestyle behaviors is critical to youth obesity mitigation strategies.

2. While health-promoting behaviors such as increased fruit intake and greater sleep may reduce the influences of an obesogenic environment, these positive outcomes were likely offset by obesity promoting behaviors such as:

• Reduced physical activity
• Excess consumption of calorie-dense and obesogenic foods
• Increased screen time