Corona: thicker through the crisis?

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Less exercise, more food for boredom and stress: During the corona crisis, many Germans put on "corona kilos". But there are counterexamples.

The weeks-long exit and contact restrictions are reflected in many on the scales: Two out of five adults in Germany have put on weight since the exit restrictions began. This was the result of a representative survey of more than 2000 participants, which the opinion research institute YouGov carried out on behalf of the dpa in mid-May.

For most of them, the weight gain was still moderate: five percent said they had gained one kilogram, one in seven (14 percent) put on between one and two kilograms. In almost every eighth (12 percent), however, it was already two to five kilograms, three percent weigh five kilograms more than before the Coroana measures. Four percent said they had gained weight, but didn't know how much.

Less exercise, more frustration food

An important reason for this: 38 percent of those surveyed stated that they were less active than usual. For some, they do not have to travel to work in the home office, while others can no longer find time for training between homeschooling, household chores and work.

But boredom and frustration are also likely to have manifested themselves in the form of extra pounds. Those who work at home instead of in the office are less reluctant to nibble in between.

Another factor that should not be underestimated: stress. Whether childcare or worries about health, relatives, the job and finances: When stressed, the body releases hormones that promote the storage of fat. In addition, there are often sleep disorders, which are considered an independent risk factor for obesity

Higher weight, higher risk

While the extra pounds are hardly a burden for some, they can become problematic for those who are already overweight. Every additional kilo increases the negative effects of being overweight on heart health, metabolism and chronic inflammatory processes.

The risk of severe Covid-19 courses also increases with the excess pounds. What the newly added kilos could do in this regard is, however, open. From a BMI of 25 at the latest, you should always try to take countermeasures, experts advise - regardless of the Coroan crisis.

Healthier lifestyle in lockdown

But there are also counterexamples: For some, the exceptional situation has encouraged healthier behavior. Twelve percent of those surveyed stated that they have been moving more since the start of the measures than before. Another twelve percent eat healthier and eight percent have even lost weight. They used the exceptional situation to integrate positive behavior into their lifestyle.

Those who have not managed to turn the trend towards a healthier lifestyle in the last few weeks can still get inspiration now. A positive side effect: a healthier diet and more exercise have a positive effect not only on weight, but also on your mood.

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