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. 2021 May;31(5):1905-1911.
doi: 10.1007/s11695-021-05257-5. Epub 2021 Feb 21.

Effect of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Pandemic and Lockdown on Body Weight, Maladaptive Eating Habits, Anxiety, and Depression in a Bariatric Surgery Waiting List Cohort

Umberto Albert  1   2 , Pasquale Losurdo  3 , Alessia Leschiutta  2 , Serena Macchi  2 , Natasa Samardzic  1 , Biagio Casaganda  4 , Nicolò de Manzini  1 , Silvia Palmisano  1
Affiliations

Effect of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Pandemic and Lockdown on Body Weight, Maladaptive Eating Habits, Anxiety, and Depression in a Bariatric Surgery Waiting List Cohort

Umberto Albert et al. Obes Surg. 2021 May.

Abstract

Purpose: On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a "public health emergency of international concern." The primary aim of the study was to evaluate weight and food habit changes during COVID-19 outbreak. The secondary endpoint was to explore the psychological factors, arising during the pandemic, influencing weight and dietary variations.

Materials and methods: A survey composed of four different items was conducted by telephone interview: (1) anthropometric data and type of procedure, (2) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), (3) maladaptive eating behaviors, and (4) personal feelings moved by the COVID-19 spread and lockdown.

Results: Fifty-six patients were enrolled. No significant changes in weight, BMI, and maladaptive eating habits were observed. A significant reduction in the anxiety index score was observed. In 17.8% of cases, a change in obesity class was reported, and among these patients, a substantial modification in bariatric procedures was planned (60%).

Conclusion: This study showed no effect on weight and BMI nor on rates of maladaptive eating habits associated with quarantine/social isolation among severely obese individuals waiting for the bariatric surgery. At the end of lockdown, a considerable proportion of patients modified their initial obesity class, and in selected cases, it could represent a criteria for rearrangement of the planned bariatric procedure. In obese patients, the lockdown and social distancing generated a reduction of fear of confronting and being negatively judged by others. This psychological aspect was assessed with the reduction of the HADS score.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery, SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Maladaptive eating habits.

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Conflict of interest statement

There is no conflict of interest for all authors regarding the publication of this manuscript and no financial issues to disclose. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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