Commentary: Changes in eating and changes in affect during early Covid confinement

Area of Science:

• Nutrition science
• Psychology
• Public health

Background:

• The initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (Spring 2020) prompted research into behavioral responses.
• Existing studies primarily examined healthy eating and drinking habits during this period.
• There was a notable lack of focus on unhealthy eating patterns and subsequent weight gain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the initial eating and drinking responses during the first COVID-19 pandemic phase.
• To highlight the underemphasis on unhealthy eating and weight gain in existing literature.
• To discuss the implications of multi-cultural pre-pandemic eating data.

Main Methods:

• Commentary and critical analysis of published papers from Spring 2020.
• Evaluation of sampling representativeness in consumer research.
• Identification of trends in healthy versus unhealthy eating behaviors.

Main Results:

• Studies predominantly focused on healthy eating, overlooking unhealthy eating and weight gain.
• Pre-pandemic data offers a baseline for normal eating behaviors across cultures.
• Concerns were raised regarding the representativeness of consumer samples in some studies.

Conclusions:

• Initial COVID-19 eating responses were complex, with a significant focus on healthy choices.
• The potential for increased unhealthy eating and weight gain requires further investigation.
• Future research should compare early pandemic data with data from later stages of the pandemic.