Children And Teens Gained Weight At An Alarming Rate During The Pandemic, The CDC Says - NPR

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ties the COVID-19 pandemic to an "alarming" increase in obesity in U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ties the COVID-19 pandemic to an "alarming" increase in obesity in U.S.

As a group, American children and teenagers have seen a significant increase in weight gain since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with the biggest jumps occurring in younger school-aged children and those who were already prone to obesity, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thursday's study noted that for severely obese kids, expected annual weight gain increased from 8.8 pounds before the pandemic to 14.6 pounds in August 2020.

Even children who had a healthy weight prior to the pandemic saw their annual rate of weight gain increase by 2 pounds, from 3.4 pounds to 5.4 pounds.

"These findings underscore the importance of efforts to prevent excess weight gain during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as during future public health emergencies, including increased access to efforts that promote healthy behaviors," the study said.

Sandra Hassink, medical director of the American Academy of Pediatrics Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight, told NPR that school closures, disruptions to sleep and physical activity schedules, stress and social isolation during the pandemic had created "the perfect storm for having issues with weight gain."