Impact of COVID-19 on Childhood Obesity Dynamics

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the environments and routines that underpin healthy growth in children. School closures, lockdowns and restrictions on organised sport disrupted structured opportunities for physical activity, while changes in caregiving and food supply led to shifts in dietary patterns. Many settings saw increased sedentary behaviour and screen time alongside irregular meal schedules and greater reliance on convenience foods. The combined effect was an acceleration of weight gain trajectories in diverse populations, often widening existing socioeconomic and ethnic disparities. At the same time, pandemic-driven stress and disturbed sleep further exacerbated metabolic risk. Emerging evidence highlights both immediate impacts—such as rapid rises in body mass index—and longer-term consequences, including worsening insulin resistance and fat distribution. To counter these trends, public health and clinical interventions have sought to promote accessible physical activity, support healthy eating in constrained circumstances and target at-risk groups, illustrating the global significance of integrated strategies to mitigate the pandemic’s unintended effects on childhood obesity.

Research from Nature Portfolio

One longitudinal study of children and adolescents with pre-existing obesity compared metabolic and anthropometric measures before and during school closures. The analysis revealed significant increases in body weight and body mass index z-scores, accompanied by adverse changes in liver enzyme levels and lipid profiles. Notably, children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease experienced a disproportionate rise in haemoglobin A1c, indicating heightened glycaemic vulnerability. These findings demonstrate that reduced physical activity and altered daily structure during COVID-19 restrictions can exacerbate both weight gain and metabolic dysfunction in paediatric patients at greatest risk.

Impact of COVID-19 on Childhood Obesity Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in impact of covid-19 on childhood obesity dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Body mass index (BMI): A proxy measure of body fat calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared.

BMI standard deviation score (BMI-SDS): A statistical measure expressing a child’s BMI relative to age- and sex-specific reference populations.

Sedentary behaviour: Waking activities characterised by low energy expenditure, such as sitting or screen-based leisure.

Socioeconomic disadvantage: The combination of economic, educational and social factors that limit access to resources and healthy living conditions.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): Excess fat accumulation in the liver not caused by alcohol, often linked to obesity and insulin resistance.

References

1. COVID-19-related school closing aggravate obesity and glucose intolerance in pediatric patients with obesity. Scientific Reports (2021).
2. Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns on Body Mass Index of Primary School Children from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds. Sports Medicine - Open (2024).
3. Changes in unhealthy food consumption among vulnerable elementary-aged children in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic: a serial cross-sectional analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition (2024).