Weighing in on COVID-19: The impact of the pandemic on children and adolescents with obesity participating in a weight management program.

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 mitigation measures, including closures of schools and recreational facilities and alterations in eating behaviours and physical activity, may impact weight.

OBJECTIVE

To examine changes in body weight and body mass index (BMI) in children and adolescents with obesity participating in an obesity treatment program before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

Body weight and BMI at baseline and 6 months were recorded for the 'historic' cohort (females = 34, males = 21) before the pandemic (November 1, 2018, to March 18, 2020) and for the 'pandemic' cohort (females = 30, males = 30) during the pandemic (March 19, 2020 to July 31, 2021). Analyses were adjusted for baseline weight/BMI, age, and ON-Marg score, a measure of the social determinants of health.

RESULTS

In males, body weight (98.29 versus 89.28 kg, p < 0.001) and BMI (36.46 versus 34.85 kg/m , p = 0.027) were greater in the pandemic compared with historic cohort. In females, body weight (p = 0.769) and BMI (p = 0.548) were not different between the two cohorts.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic may have diminished the health impacts of a weight management program, particularly in males, leading to increased body weight and BMI.