A shocking poll has found that 48% of millennials gained an average of 41lb in the past year as millions are quarantined due to the pandemic.
The collective crash weight gain has been due to a combination of gym closures, increasingly sedentary lifestyles, and the ubiquity of fast food delivery in major cities in a effort to slow the spread.
A whopping 61% of those polled reported an “undesired” weight change, 42% of whom noted a weight gain, while 19% lost weight.
Within that 42% of those gaining weight, the average weight gain was a significant 29lb — with 15lb being the median weight gain.
Moreover, 10% of those polled reported a weight gain of 50lb or more — almost a pound a week!
The poll, published by the American Psychological Association, was collected by Harris Poll, where the jaw-dropping revelation was made.
Millennials Gained The Most Out of All Groups
The fact that Millennials gained weight is nothing new; Heathline called Millennials the “most obese generation.“
According to the poll, here is a breakdown of weight gain by generation:
“Gen Z adults (ages 18–24)
22% of Gen Z adults report undesired weight loss, with an average weight loss of 22 lbs. 52% of Gen Z adults report undesired weight gain, with an average gain of 28 lbs.
Millennials (ages 25–42)
22% of Millennials report undesired weight loss, with an average weight loss of 26 lbs. 48% of Millennials report undesired weight gain, with an average gain of 41 lbs.
Xers (ages 43–56)
17% of Xers report undesired weight loss, with an average weight loss of 24 lbs. 41% of Xers report undesired weight gain, with an average gain of 21 lbs.
Boomers (ages 57–75)
14% of Boomers report undesired weight loss, with an average weight loss of 26 lbs. 37% of Boomers report undesired weight gain, with an average gain of 16 lbs.
Older adults (ages 76+)
5% of older adults report undesired weight loss and 25% report undesired weight gain. There was an insufficient sample size of older adults to report average pounds of unwanted weight loss or gain.”
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Stress, mental health concerns, and even suicide have all been on the periphery of public consciousness as wearisome lockdowns painfully disrupt the lives of many.
Alcohol consumption has been another bad habit on the up during the pandemic as some have begun to self-medicate.
Fathers, in particular, have suffered fairly heavily from the pandemic, with 55% reporting weight gain and almost half resorting to booze to cope with the financial and mental stress lockdowns have placed on the average family.
31% of those polls signaled that their mental health has worsened since lockdowns began, with over two-thirds reporting diminished sleep quality.
“We’ve been concerned throughout this pandemic about the level of prolonged stress, exacerbated by the grief, trauma and isolation that Americans are experiencing. This survey reveals a secondary crisis that is likely to have persistent, serious mental and physical health consequences for years to come,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr, PhD, APA’s chief executive officer.
We would also like to hypothesize that the sudden lifestyle and dietary changes brought about by lockdowns — in particular, limiting direct sunlight hours on the average male — will have dire negative consequences on the average male’s endogenous natural testosterone production.
Coupled with sudden weight gain, testosterone levels will be bound to plunge in the upcoming years.
Low testosterone rates have been linked with ill mental health in men, and have further reaching ramifications than low libido and poor physical health.
Obesity, as we have previously discussed on this website, can lead to a slew of health problems. Now, with the pandemic dominating news cycles, it has become apparent that almost 80% of severe Covid hospitalizations were for obese patients.
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