The Influence of Obesity on Nutrition and Physical Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case-Control Study

Obesity is one of the important risk factors for a severe course of COVID-19. Maintaining a healthy body weight through diet and physical activity is a reasonable approach to preventing a SARS-CoV-2 infection or in alleviating its course. The goal of the study was to determine the influence of obesity on nutrition and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 964 respondents, including 227 individuals with a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 were evaluated in this study. In the case of 482 respondents, including 105 individuals (21.8%) with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, the data were collected during the pandemic period from 1 June to 31 August 2020. The remaining 482 individuals were the “pre-pandemic” group, selected via propensity score matching (PSM) out of the 723 National Health Program study participants whose data was collected in 2017−2019. The evaluated dietary health factors were quantitatively similar in patients with BMI of either <30 kg/m2 or ≥30 kg/m2 and showed no significant changes during the pandemic. The diets of those who suffered from obesity prior to the pandemic showed the evaluated unhealthy nutritional factors to be less pronounced in comparison with those of individuals with BMI < 30 kg/m2. During the pandemic, the BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 group showed a significant increase in the overall calorie intake (by 319 kcal; p = 0.001) and an increased consumption of total carbohydrates 299.3 ± 83.8 vs. 252.0 ± 101.5; p = 0.000), sucrose (51.7 ± 30.0 vs. 71.6 ± 49.9; p = 0.000), plant protein (26.3 ± 12.1 vs. 29.3 ± 8.3; p = 0.040), total fat (73.1 ± 42.6 vs. 84.9 ± 29.6; p = 0.011) and saturated fatty acids (29.5 ± 16.4 vs. 34.3 ± 13.9; p = 0.014) in comparison with the pre-pandemic period. The energy and nutritional value of the diets of BMI < 30 kg/m2 individuals did not change between the pre-pandemic and pandemic period. Before the pandemic, the level of leisure physical activity of the BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 group was significantly lower than of those with BMI < 30 kg/m2. Such differences were not observed in the levels of physical activity at work or school. The pandemic did not alter the amount of physical activity either during leisure time or at work/school in individuals with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. However, respondents without obesity exercised significantly less during the pandemic than before. In conclusion, the pandemic altered the diets and levels of physical activity in the Polish population, with dietary changes observed in individuals with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 and changes in physical activity observed in those with BMI < 30 kg/m2.