No bikini body: Hungarian obesity increased during quarantine

When you’re confined to your room or apartment for months, it’s no surprise that those extra kilos are harder to lose and easier to gain.

According to a recent survey by two local health centres, 31% of Hungarians have gained weight in the past year, while 15.6% are now slimmer than before, writes Bors. The non-representative survey was carried out between March 24th and April 5th, in the form of an online questionnaire, receiving answers from 834 people.

Among those respondents who admitted to carrying a bit of extra weight, 58% had put on 2 to 5 kilos during the pandemic, while 30% reported a weight increase of 6 to 9 kilos.

When asked about their eating habits, 44% stated that they had changed. 46% said that they cooked more often, while 38% confessed to having an increased tendency to snack. Every tenth person also reported having consumed more alcohol. According to the survey, almost two-thirds of Hungarians (63.3%) have exercised less than normally during the quarantine, however, on a more positive note, 35.9% have tried out a new sport.

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Looking past the matter of weight gain, the pandemic has also had a number of negative effects on the physical and mental well-being of Hungarians. 82.5% of those asked said they slept less and/or worse, 45.9% had felt lonely, and 38.8% had experienced a new health problem. And yet, only 11.6% had reached out to anyone, asking for help.