A McMaster University study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that obesity rates increased at a faster rate during the COVID-19 pandemic than they did before April 2020.
Young women aged 18-29 experienced the fastest increase at nine per cent over the the pandemic, compared to men in that age range at six per cent. The cross-sectional, multi-decade study used the body mass index (BMI) scale to measure obesity, while also acknowledging the scale’s limitations and inconsistencies.
But beyond the numbers, what exactly happened to young women’s bodies during a world-wide pandemic, and what does the BMI scale not show about how our bodies changed in a time of limited health resources and complete isolation.
Host Maria Kestane speaks to Abbey Sharp, registered dietitian and host of the Bite Back podcast, to discuss the study’s findings and what lies in between the numbers shown on the scale.
You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.
