The pandemic affected our country in many different ways from economical struggles to new vaccines being produced, but did you know it also affected our weight? During the pandemic 42% of American adults found themselves gaining weight unintentionally. Weight loss has always been a struggle for overweight individuals, and now that there are more people struggling with their weight, there is a need for a new approach to weight loss.
During the pandemic the average weight gain that was experienced was about 30 pounds. 10% of American adults who experienced unintentional weight gain gained more than 50 pounds. This weight gain could have been brought on by the stay-at-home orders which saw people staying at home instead of going on their trips to the gym or daily runs, as well as sparked an interest in at-home cooking in many people. Many Americans also began struggling with their mental health which has strong effects on diet and weight changes.
Beginning the process of losing weight can be difficult for many people. 21% of overweight patients feel judged by their primary care doctors which keeps them from seeking the medical care that can help them shed the weight. Many try to turn to diet and exercise, but this is not as effective as medical intervention and while changing life habits can help to lose some weight, 97% of dieters regain what they lost and sometimes more.
To combat this, new holistic ways of weight loss are being introduced to help overweight or obese patients. These strategies include medical as well as psychological interventions to help address weight as well as the underlying problems that can cause weight gain like mental health struggles. With the increase in overweight patients, a new holistic method of weight loss is absolutely necessary in our country.
