The study, published in the newspaper of the Canadian Medical Association, examined obesity rates over a period of 15 years, based on the body mass index of nearly 750,000 people aged 18 or over.
The researchers claim to have noted an increase of around 8 % in the first 11 years of the study, from 2009 to 2020, compared to an increase of more than one percentage point per year between 2020 and 2023.
It is about double the preparation rate rate.
Laura Anderson, author of the study and associate professor at McMaster University, says that these results suggest that public health restrictions during the COVVI-19 pandemic may have had an impact on obesity rates.
Ms. Anderson indicates that there has been a “strong increase” of obesity rates in young adults, especially in young women, who recorded an increase of 4.7 % between 2020 and 2023 in the youngest age group.
DRE Mélanie Henderson, pediatric endocrinologist and researcher at the Sainte-Justine CHU, specifies that the closure of gyms, extracurricular programs, schools and workplaces resulted in a lack of structure, an increase in the time spent in front of the screens and a closer proximity to the refrigerator.
“It was sort of the perfect storm,” said Dr. Henderson, who had no connection with the study. She adds that adolescence is a vulnerable period that could have made young adults more sensitive to the conditions of the pandemic.
The study also suggests that stress linked to changes in professional situation or care provision may have led to weight gain in some.
The document emphasizes, however, that more in -depth studies are necessary to better understand the causes and how to prevent them in the future.
The DRE Henderson argues that the first step is to create policies guaranteeing the availability of health services to treat and manage obesity.
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