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Doubling COVID’s Toll: Mental Health and Obesity
Oct 10, 2021
by Ted Kyle, ConscienHealth

Original Post: ConscienHealth

The numbers make it crystal clear. One of the long-term effects of the COVID pandemic will be a jump in childhood obesity. And it’s not hard to trace that back to the mental health of children and families. Late last week a new report in Pediatrics provided a stark reminder about the impact of COVID on children. Roughly 140,000 children have lost a primary caregiver to death because of the pandemic. That is 140,000 children who have lost a parent, grandparent, or another loved one who cared for them.

Now let’s recall that adverse childhood experiences are an important trigger for obesity. So the straight line from these devastating losses to the jump in childhood obesity rates is easy to see.

Unfortunate Complacency About Children and COVID

Early in the pandemic, some people falsely thought that children were “essentially immune” to COVID. Now we’ve learned how wrong they were. First of all, with the Delta surge, pediatric ICUs have been filling up. But in addition, the indirect impact on mental and physical health has been drastic.

Obesity prevalence in kids has clearly grown in the pandemic. Further, COVID has put the mental health of the world’s 2.2 billion children at risk. A new report from the UN tells us that nearly one in five young people often feel depressed or have little interest in life. Children’s hospitals in the U.S. have seen dramatic increases in children seeking mental health services.

Without a doubt, the presumption that COVID was not a threat to children has proven to be terribly wrong.

Mental Health and Obesity: A Two-Way Street

The relationship between mental health and obesity goes in two directions. Stress, distress, and adverse childhood experiences can fuel weight gain. On the other side of this link, it’s also clear that obesity can fuel mental health distress. Bullying and social isolation are significant problems for a child living with obesity. Public health messaging that tended to blame children and parents for this metabolic disease has long been a problem.

As just one example, screening and singling out children with obesity in school was once a popular policy. Research now shows that it offers no benefit while having the potential to do a great deal of harm.

World Mental Health Day 2021

Today is World Mental Health Day. The rallying cry is to make mental health care for all a reality. Recognizing the link between obesity and mental health makes this especially important for people living with obesity. Even more so, it is important for children. Let’s resolve to live up to this challenge and take it one step further. Let’s all do our part to stop the harm that weight stigma does to children who are living with obesity.


Ted Kyle is a pharmacist and health innovator living in Pittsburgh. He is also a tireless advocate for people living with obesity. His widely-read daily commentary, published at conscienhealth.org/news, reaches an audience of more than 15,000 thought leaders in health and obesity.




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