Changes in Body Weight and Lifestyle Behaviors among U.S. Adults following the Introduction of COVID-19 Lockdown: Evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated policies may impact body weight in a variety of ways. Using data from the 2018-2020 waves of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), we estimate the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on Body Mass Index and the probability of obesity for adults in the United States. Using a difference-in-differences framework which relies on the plausibly exogenous timing of COVID-19 lockdown as an indicator of when individuals’ lives were first affected by the pandemic, we find statistically significant associations between the introduction of initial lockdown and body weight gain. Event study results suggest that adults experience a temporary decrease in body weight following the first month of lockdown and an increase in body weight as time since initial lockdown increases. We find larger effects for men but more persistent effects for women, as well as greater and more persistent effects for non-white adults, less-educated adults, and adults living in more densely populated states. Analyzing potential mechanisms driving the observed increase in body weight, we find evidence of potential changes in diets and sedentary behaviors following initial lockdown based on increased Google search intensity for terms related to food delivery, high calorie foods, and video streaming platforms.