40% of adults put on half a stone during the pandemic, survey finds
The study, which surveyed 5,000 adults on changes in their weight since the first lockdown in March 2020, found that 21 per cent of people who had gained weight put on a stone or more.
On average, those aged between 35 to 65 gained 4.6kg, which is just over half a stone. Most respondents said unhealthy eating habits, like snacking and comfort eating, were the main reasons behind their weight gain.
The survey was commissioned as part of PHE’s new Better Health campaign, which offers a 12-week plan to help adults lose excess weight and adopt a more active lifestyle.
Earlier this month, research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that there was a “large increase in calories from takeaways” during the last year, peaking at more than double the usual levels in the second national lockdown in November 2020.
In April, Just Eat reported that it received 79 per cent more orders between January and March this year, compared with the same period in 2020. In the UK alone, the number of orders increased by 96 per cent to 64 million.
During all three national lockdowns, people were permitted to go outdoors to exercise once a day, but gyms and other sporting venues were closed.
Findings from Sport England show that activity levels were at their lowest during the first lockdown when the number of adults doing more than 30 minutes of exercise a week fell by 7.1 per cent, which amounts to roughly 3 million people.
PHE said that those who have already used its 12-week weight loss plan have reported an average loss of 5.8kg.
“The past sixteen months have caused many to change their habits, so it is not a surprise to see so many people reporting weight gain,” Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE said.
“We know how hard it can be to lose weight and keep it off – so, we are providing a range of support options to help motivate people and help them maintain a healthy weight. It’s never too late to make changes to help improve your health.”
Youngest ever patient weighing 45 kg undergoes weight-loss surgery in Delhi
New Delhi: Doctors at a private Delhi hospital successfully performed a life-saving bariatric surgery on a 2-year-old morbidly obese child weighing 45 kg, with a body mass index of 41.5.
Since bariatric surgery for children is rare, this case can be termed to be the youngest bariatric surgery patient in India in over a decade. The procedure had to be conducted as a medical emergency," the hospital said in a statement.
Dr Manpreet Sethi, Consultant, Paediatric Endocrinology, said, "The child was normal at the time of birth and weighed 2.5 kg. However, she started gaining weight rapidly soon after birth and weighed 14 kg at six months. She has an elder brother who is eight years old and has normal growth milestones for his age. Her weight progressively increased over the next year and a half reaching 45 kg at 2 years and three months."
A child at 2 years, having normal growth milestones, weighs between 12 to 15 kgs. Since bariatric surgery for children is rare, this case can be termed the "youngest bariatric surgery patient in India" in over a decade. The procedure had to be conducted as a medical emergency, doctors at the Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, said.
At 2.5 kg, Khayati weighed normal at the time of birth. However, she started gaining weight rapidly soon after birth and weighed 14 kg at six months.
Her weight progressively increased over the next year and a half, reaching 45 kgs at 2 years and 3 months.
Her condition worsened to the extent that she developed significant obstructive sleep apnoea with multiple pauses in her breathing during sleep and she was unable to sleep lying down on her back. She was also wheelchair bound since the age of 1 year and 10 months.
"While the lower age limit of bariatric surgery in children is 12-15 years; in her case the surgery was a medical emergency. We had a detailed discussion with the paediatricians, endocrinologists and the family, along with a thorough review of literature before taking up the child," said Dr Vivek Bindal, HOD, Max Institute of Minimal Access, Bariatric and Robotic Surgery, in a statement.
"The greatest challenge in her case was the non-availability of any referral literature or technical video of such a procedure in a small child. Also, the staplers and instruments are designed for adults. The abdominal cavity in a 2-year-old child is very small, irrespective of her weight. Added to this, the blood volume in children is very small, and so is the allowable blood loss," Bindal said.
Khayati underwent laparoscopic gastric sleeve surgery or sleeve gastrectomy where a portion of the stomach is removed surgically.
The procedure gives a feeling of fullness to patients and reduces their hunger, causing weight loss and significant improvements in health. This is owing to the fact that the new stomach pouch holds smaller volume than normal stomach and reduces the amount of food intake.
After the procedure, Khayati has been able to take enough liquids and soft diet without any issues, the doctors said.
"While we anticipated non-invasive respiratory support, she fortunately did not show any respiratory compromise and she was quite comfortable, post op. Her sleep apnoea became better within few days of surgery, and she could be shifted out in just four days post-surgery from ICU," said Dr Rajiv Uttam Associate Director Paediatrics, HOD Paediatrics Intensive Care.
Post-surgery, Khayati has been put on a special diet to gradually decrease her weight while maintaining the child's nutrition requirements. She is expected to lose weight over the next year and grow up as a normal adult. She will be closely monitored by the clinical team. She is also undergoing rehabilitation to help her build strength in her limbs so she can begin walking, the doctors said.
I developed an unhealthy relationship with my Fitbit – so we broke up
My Fitbit was initially a great tool for motivation and to hold myself accountable (Picture: Amy Lo)
I was already running late (no surprises there) but when I left my house earlier this year, I realised I didn’t have my Fitbit on.
Instead of legging it to the station like I should’ve done, I ran back home so I could put it on and track my steps for the day, even though it meant I’d miss my train to meet my friend for dinner.
Sweating as I sped-walked to the station while I did up my band, I decided I needed to break-up with my Fitbit – and I was too embarrassed to tell my friend about my reason for being late, by the way.
I got my fitness band when I started running four years ago because I wanted to track my progress as my distances got further and further.
It was initially a great tool for motivation and to hold myself accountable so that I could have a better lifestyle on a day-to-day basis.
It would buzz on the hour to remind me to get up and hit my steps while I was sat at my desk at the office, as well as get me to go to bed earlier after I was shocked at how little sleep I was getting. I also couldn’t believe how much I walked in a day just going to the office and running around London.
But then something changed after I got myself a newer and more advanced model three years later.
Boxing completely changed how I looked at working out (Picture: Amy Lo)
It had exciting new functions and measurements such as ‘active minutes’, which was great as it didn’t just track steps but also other activities like cycling. If I didn’t hit my daily goal though, I’d feel guilty and often like I shouldn’t be going out to the dinner or event I had planned that evening.
I wore it to weddings so it would include my cardio heart rate while I was dancing, all while ruining my outfit with the unsightly band on my wrist. And instead of just enjoying the downtime away from the gym, I constantly felt I had to track my stats in order to feel productive, even though I wasn’t working out.
My obsession got worse over lockdown because I wasn’t walking to the station and the office while working from home. I’d go out for a walk in the cold and rain just so I could get my step count up.
I was a woman possessed. And that added burden was just not needed on top of the general pressure from society to stay active and look a certain way.
While I’m happy, healthy, and confident in my body now as an adult, it’s not always been the case.
My family and Chinese culture revolves around food. It’s a way to celebrate, express joy and show that you care.
But all those lovely connotations were overshadowed when I was an overweight child and family members constantly pointed out that the clothing size I was wearing was two age ranges older than I actually was. I felt so ashamed about it around my friends who were smaller.
Using the pedometer, I would do 100 sit ups a night (Picture: Amy Lo)
I was desperate to look like my favourite pop stars and all the girls in my magazines, right at the height of noughties ‘heroin chic’ – where skinny, waif-like body types were coveted and Kate Moss told us all that ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’.
Even before the era of the Fitbit, my fixation with tracking my workouts began when I bought a pedometer at the age of 14.
I would do 100 sit ups a night because I read in a magazine that my idol Britney Spears did, and I mean, come on, who didn’t want to look like the ultimate pop princess?
I’d also push my parents’ wonderful cooking around in my bowl because I thought I should just be eating carrot and celery sticks instead.
I ended up losing weight at university purely because I started cooking for myself and was eating smaller portion sizes than I had at home. Food has since become a massive part of my life again through cooking and discovering new flavours, which has brought me so much joy.
This has only been amplified since I’ve ditched my Fitbit and I’m not worrying if I’ve racked up enough steps to warrant having certain foods. It’s been through taking a step back from my tracker that I’ve felt like I can enjoy my passion for food and cooking, completely guilt-free.
My favourite thing to do now is to put on music and cook while singing along, and I crave for the cuisine of my heritage that I had growing up, constantly thinking of when I’ll next be home to eat my dad’s food.
It’s been a learning curve but now I have a healthy balance and mindset when it comes to exercising and enjoying the indulgences in life, and not having my Fitbit anymore means I no longer determine whether I deserve to eat certain things based on how much physical activity I’ve done.
I initially got into boxing in 2016 because I wanted to find a new form of cardio that was new and fun (and because of a rubbish break-up too). At the time, I was still using my Fitbit and I’d uncomfortably have the fitness tracker under my gloves while I went as hard as I could to burn the most calories possible.
I cared more about the stats than how good I was getting at the sport. Other times I would go to the gym and just watch the numbers of calories rack up on the screen on the cross-trainer Fitbit, or think about the distances I should run.
But since I’ve given up my watch earlier this year, I now focus on my technique, footwork, and how to be the best I can be in the ring.
Step counts have been replaced by sweat and endorphins as the classes have become a weekly regular in my diary. I’ve made friends at the boxing club and it’s a complete stress reliever.
All of that is worth so much more than knowing how many calories I’ve burnt.
Now I use an app on my runs so I know when I reach 5K. I’ve even turned off the updates of my running time. And it seems like I’m not the only one ditching my fitness band.
Last year, Fitbit’s sales dropped by 31% as I suspect more and more people are criticising just how useful they are and a 2016 study even found that fitness trackers are less effective at encouraging people to lose weight than simply following a diet and exercise plan.
I now engage in a whole range of physical activities in my lifestyle – from cycling to being in constant amazement of the amount of weights I can lift.
And when I think about all the amazing things my body is capable of, I’d rather focus on that than stats and figures any day.