TY - JOUR
T1 - The Continued Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Obesity
T2 - A Commentary on the Return to a Healthy New “Normal”
AU - Chaves, Eileen
AU - Reddy, Sheethal D.
AU - Cadieux, Adelle
AU - Tomasula, Jessica
AU - Reynolds, Kimberly
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/5/1
Y1 - 2022/5/1
N2 - Two years into this pandemic, mental health symptoms are more prevalent in children and adolescents, routine wellness visits have decreased, individuals and families are experiencing increased stress, and food and nutrition insecurity are on the rise. Pediatric overweight and obesity are yet another health condition that has been impacted by the pandemic. The current commentary aims to (a) summarize a variety of factors contributing to worsening obesity and healthy lifestyle choices in youth throughout the pandemic and to (b) provide recommendations for healthcare providers on navigating this challenge. Specific health behaviors, such as increased sedentary behavior, decreased physical activity, a change to families’ home-food environments, and an increase in sleep dysregulation have contributed to increased weight gain in children and adolescents. As uncertainty continues with the advent of various COVID-19 variants, it remains important to consider how the pandemic has impacted pediatric overweight and obesity.
AB - Two years into this pandemic, mental health symptoms are more prevalent in children and adolescents, routine wellness visits have decreased, individuals and families are experiencing increased stress, and food and nutrition insecurity are on the rise. Pediatric overweight and obesity are yet another health condition that has been impacted by the pandemic. The current commentary aims to (a) summarize a variety of factors contributing to worsening obesity and healthy lifestyle choices in youth throughout the pandemic and to (b) provide recommendations for healthcare providers on navigating this challenge. Specific health behaviors, such as increased sedentary behavior, decreased physical activity, a change to families’ home-food environments, and an increase in sleep dysregulation have contributed to increased weight gain in children and adolescents. As uncertainty continues with the advent of various COVID-19 variants, it remains important to consider how the pandemic has impacted pediatric overweight and obesity.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - obesity guidelines
KW - pediatric obesity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129385059&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85129385059&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19095597
DO - 10.3390/ijerph19095597
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 35564991
AN - SCOPUS:85129385059
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 19
JO - International journal of environmental research and public health
JF - International journal of environmental research and public health
IS - 9
M1 - 5597
ER -