Lockdown's impact on overweight and obese people explored in report by Leeds academics

The university collaborated with Public Health England to survey 289 adults and 21 children and young people to find out what impact the Covid-19 lockdown had from March to June.

The research, led by Louisa Ells, Professor of Obesity at Leeds Beckett University, gives an insight into the experiences of patients living with obesity during lockdown.

At the start of lockdown, NHS England advised that all weight management services aimed at changing people’s behaviours were to be put on hold.

Professor Ells, who worked with colleagues at Leeds Beckett in collaboration with Public Health England, the University of Leeds, and University College London, said: "Some services stopped entirely, and some continued in other formats. Now that we are emerging from the lockdown, public health teams are discussing how and what to offer in future.”

The new report found that 60 per cent of the adults surveyed and 67 per cent of the children and young people living with obesity felt that they were at a higher risk of infection.

Only 30 per cent of respondents felt that they had received enough support or information from their weight management service during lockdown.

Almost three quarters of the adult patients surveyed reported their services being cancelled or delayed. For children and young people this was only 10 per cent.

And 72 per cent of adult respondents and 82 per cent of the children and young people reported that they had used food to manage their emotions.

A total of 80 per cent of adults and 82 per cent of children and young people said they had been less active during lockdown.

Professor Ells said: "As well as surveying patients, we conducted a series of regional webinars. We heard that the loss of routine had resulted in some people baking and eating for boredom and comfort. The lack of peer support, fear of going outside, and constraints on physical activity opportunities also impacted negatively on people’s activity levels”.

“Many people raised the issue of increased stress and anxiety levels, poor mental health and the impact of food insecurity and access to healthy affordable food. Loss of income is increasing food poverty, and a reliance on food parcels which may not have appropriate dietary options to support weight management.”

The team found that some weight management services have adapted well by providing support through remote delivery, using a variety of different approaches including activity packs, telephone, social media and online support.