Mothers more likely to bear the burden of childcare during Covid-19 quarantines, study shows

We were all afraid of gaining weight during quarantine due to the restriction of our ability to survive.

But it seems like you’re more likely to gain weight if you were a woman.

Experts say there are even more victims of childcare, so they are more confined to enclosed spaces to care for the family.

The men, on the other hand, “continued as they were”.

Researchers analyzed data on 938,000 adults in the UK and found that Covid curbs had a ‘different effect’ on the genders.

Women were 44% more likely to go from being overweight to obese, and 13% of women do so compared to just 9% of men.

Professor Thomas Yates, who worked on the University of Leicester research, suggested that many mothers are entrusted with homeschooling and they cannot go out and stay active.

I suspect the blockade has had a different impact on the lives of many women than men.

The men continued as they were, working only at home. Meanwhile, those school runs, groceries, the kind of stuff that could potentially drive women out of the house more often, have suddenly stopped.

“And then you deal with homeschooling kids and a very different way of life that is probably pretty stressful.

“So it wasn’t just about reducing activity levels and changing diets, but stress and mental health issues likely played a role as well.”

When asked why men are better, Professor Yates replied, “I suspect it’s more because men can probably do pretty well the way they are.

“Obviously you removed things like bars, but I thought it would be less of a hassle in terms of the working model.”

Analysis presented at the European Obesity Congress in Maastricht, the Netherlands, found that young Britons are twice as likely to gain weight as retirees during the pandemic.

Analysis presented at the European Obesity Congress in Maastricht, Netherlands, revealed that young Britons are more than twice as likely as retirees to gain weight during the pandemic (archive image)

About 17% of people under the age of 45 become obese while overweight, compared to 7% of people over the age of 75.

Professor Yates said: “All that socializing, getting out of the house – going to the gym, going to work – suddenly stopped, so there was a really noticeable difference… Teens, we know about anxiety, stress, depression. .. the pandemic has had a clear impact on people’s mental health.

“So when you combine a mental health pandemic with a blockade, you make people eat more, exercise less and gain weight, so that’s probably what we’re seeing in that group.”

Professor Yates added that weight gain in young adults and women could lead to an increased risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer in the coming years. It called for more action to reverse the effects of the blockade.

Dr. David Kloecker, also from the University of Leicester, said: “Long-term quarantine has disrupted daily routine, making it difficult for people to eat healthy and stay fit. However, more research is needed to understand the reasons behind these changes in body weight and obesity.”