Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Open University, 00166 Rome, Italy.
Division of Cardiology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Nutrients. 2021 Dec 17;13(12):4522. doi: 10.3390/nu13124522.
The introduction of lockdowns and other containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic substantially altered people's lifestyle and dietary behavior. Several studies evaluated the short-term effects of these measures; yet reports on long-term consequences are scarce. We sought to address this gap in the literature by analyzing dietary and lifestyle data collected at an obesity center in Rome, Italy. The Italian region of Lazio was hit hard by the pandemic. To evaluate the potential health impacts, we compared the pre- and post-lockdown data of 118 individuals. Contrary to the common belief that lockdown had adverse effects solely on people's dietary habits, we observed a significantly increased consumption of raw vegetables, whole grains, and water in our study sample. Favorable effects, however, were also accompanied by adverse trends, such as a higher prevalence of sleeping difficulties. Our data emphasize that the lockdowns associated with the pandemic also influenced participants' social behavior, with less individuals reporting eating out or in company. Our study highlights the substantial impact of lockdowns on many dimensions of life. As such, it is of utmost importance in the critical evaluation of such stringent containment measures.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间，封锁和其他遏制措施的引入极大地改变了人们的生活方式和饮食行为。有几项研究评估了这些措施的短期影响；然而，关于长期后果的报告却很少。我们试图通过分析在意大利罗马的一个肥胖中心收集的饮食和生活方式数据来填补这一文献空白。意大利拉齐奥地区受到了大流行的严重打击。为了评估潜在的健康影响，我们比较了 118 个人的封锁前和封锁后的数据。与封锁仅对人们的饮食习惯产生不利影响的普遍看法相反，我们观察到研究样本中生蔬菜、全谷物和水的摄入量明显增加。然而，有利的影响也伴随着不利的趋势，例如睡眠困难的发生率更高。我们的数据强调，与大流行相关的封锁也影响了参与者的社会行为，报告外出就餐或与他人一起就餐的人数减少。我们的研究强调了封锁对生活许多方面的重大影响。因此，在对这种严格的遏制措施进行批判性评估时，这一点至关重要。
