61% of Americans See Unwanted Weight Change During Pandemic [VIDEO]

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Did you gain or lose weight unexpectedly during the last year? If so, you're not alone. It's reported that 61 percent of Americans experienced an unwanted change to their weight during the coronavirus pandemic.

The average amount of unwanted weight gain was a staggering 29 pounds. The average unintended weight loss was 26 pounds.

Bariatric Specialist Dr. Zaher Nuwayhid tells WBTW that spending a lot more time at home and enduring more mental anxiety leads to more eating. Eating more obviously leads to unwanted weight gain.

“Most of my patients have either been not losing weight or have been gaining weight. And every time I speak with them, they say, ‘doctor listen, I’ve been home, and all I do is eat,’” Dr. Nuwayhid said.

According to the American Psychological Association, 42% of adults report gaining more weight than intended, while 18% said they have lost more weight than they wanted during the pandemic.

Changes in sleep patterns and alcohol consumption can also have an impact on weight.

“I always tell my patients you can turn the point around. I know you had a bad month, you stayed home, you quarantined, you gained some weight, but that’s fine, it’s not the end of the world. You can always lose it,” Dr. Nuwayhid said.

Stress caused by changes in employment status and/or financial changes can also have an impact on a person's weight.

“With the pandemic, you lose your job, so your income also becomes on the low side. So you tend to buy cheap stuff like high-calorie goods, snacks, chips, and this is also bad,” Dr. Nuwayhid said.

Click here for the full report from the APA.