Weight gain persists, obesity rises in children after pandemic lockdown

Some children, particularly boys, continue to gain weight even after COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures have been eased, indicating the challenges in reversing the effects of lockdowns, reveals a study in Argentina. However, sedentary behaviours have decreased while quality of life has improved.

A group of researchers examined changes in body mass index z-score (zBMI), lifestyle, health-related quality of life, and proportion of overweight or obesity (OW/OB) in children aged 6 to 9 years in an observation study with baseline measurements prior to lockdown and follow-up after 8 months of restrictive measures (first visit: November 2020; n=144) and after 10 months of partial reopening (second visit: September 2021; n=108).

The research team compared anthropometric changes from baseline to first visit in the lockdown group with a historical control (HC; n=134) group. Follow-up visits consisted of anthropometric measures, lifestyle questionnaire, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory.

Children in the lockdown group showed a higher change in zBMI (median, 0.46 vs 0.02; p<0.001) than those in the HC group, particularly in participants with pre-existing OW/OB. In the lockdown group, zBMI was higher both at first and second visits relative to baseline (p<0.001), and at second vs first visit for boys (p=0.037), but not for girls.

An increase was also noted in the proportion of children with OW/OB from baseline to first and second visits (43.5 percent vs 56.5 percent and 58.3 percent, respectively; p=0.029). Notably, the percentage of boys, but not girls, with OW/OB rose from baseline to first and second visits (p=0.045).

Additionally, children with less healthy habits demonstrated a higher change in zBMI (p<0.001).

“Tackling childhood obesity after the pandemic will not be easy and might require decades to fully reverse current trends,” the researchers said. “Governments, schools, and families should be encouraged to make efforts not only to prevent childhood obesity but also to ameliorate the effects of pandemic lockdown [by] supporting healthy lifestyle choices.”