Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic led to lockdowns in several parts of the world and, hence, changed some daily habits, including social interactions, the ability to perform sports, and—possibly—diet. The Italian government established and promulgated lockdown policies on 9 March 2020. We aim at assessing the effects of Covid-19-induced confinement policies on self-reported food consumption of self-selected Italians by means of a questionnaire that was created and diffused by the Internet. Nearly half, i.e., 49.6% of responders did not substantially modify their diet during the lockdown; however, 46.1% of them reported that they were eating more during confinement, and 19.5% gained weight. In particular, we report an increase in “comfort food” consumption, notably chocolate, ice-cream, and desserts (42.5%) and salty snacks (23.5%). In addition, 42.7% percent of this cohort attributed this increase to higher anxiety levels. Related to this, 36.8% of responders reported a decrease in alcohol consumption, even though 10.1% of them reported an increase. Interestingly, 21.2% of responders increased their consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. Only 33.5% of those who declared decreased consumption attributed this change of diet to lower availability and ease of purchasing such items. Equally interesting, over half of responders, i.e., 56.2%, admitted that fruit and vegetables did not appeal to them while in lockdown. Purchases of ready-made meals were reduced by nearly 50%. Future large-scale similar studies should be undertaken worldwide and will help public health authorities shape their reactions to future, unavoidable pandemics.
Highlights
The Covid-19 pandemic led to lockdowns in several parts of the world and, changed several daily habits, including social interactions, the ability to perform sports, and—possibly—diet.Diet being one of the foremost contributors to health [1], it is conceivable that a situation in which food availability, access to it, and a shift from eating out to mandatory in-house consumption could have change the dietary profiles of several people
We surveyed the dietary habits of an Italian sample, via distribution of a questionnaire, during the
Our results indicate that Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown induced about half the Covid-19 pandemic
Summary
Diet being one of the foremost contributors to health [1], it is conceivable that a situation in which food availability, access to it, and a shift from eating out to mandatory in-house consumption could have change the dietary profiles of several people. One of the most interesting and novel proxies of healthy diets is food, namely, produce availability [2]. Interesting research is suggesting that the easier it is to purchase healthful foods, the easier it is to follow appropriate diets [3]. Food accessibility may be impaired during confinements, which could impact the overall diet quality. The impending possibility of job losses, reduced incomes, and uncertainties regarding the future might speculatively lead some people to reduce their expenditures, including those for food
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