More screens, fewer outings… The Covid-19 health crisis has had a very clear impact on the weight of young French people.
- In 2020, nearly one in two French people (47.3%) was overweight and/or obese.
- According to the WHO classification, we speak of overweight when the BMI is greater than 25 and obese when it exceeds 30.
According to a new study published by Santé Publique France, the health crisis caused 4-year-old children to gain weight.
Three school years
“The objective of this work was to explore, over three school years (2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021), the evolution of the staturo-weight status of children and to estimate the impact of the crisis. health due to SARS-CoV-2 in Val-de-Marne”explain the researchers in the introduction.
Using data from nursery school health check-ups (BSEM), the scientists analyzed the weight, height, gender and age of 48,119 children, while listing whether their school was in a priority area and if they went to the canteen and/or daycare.
Results: among all the children included in the cohort, the proportion of overweight children was significantly higher in 2020-2021 compared to previous years. More specifically, the percentage of overweight children increased by +2.6% and that of obese children by +1.8%.
Risk factors
The risk factors likely to increase their overweight were female sex and the child’s membership in a priority education network. Attendance at a daycare center or the school canteen, on the other hand, was a protective factor against overweight and obesity.
“The BSEM data show that the increase in the height and weight status of children in the middle section of kindergarten is significant following the health crisis. The measures taken have increased sedentary lifestyles and degraded eating habits with a significant impact in children”, write the researchers in conclusion. “Special vigilance should be taken in socially disadvantaged areas and among girls”, they add.