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PANDEMIC POUNDS - THE QUARANTINE 15

Posted: October 2, 2020, 2:59PM

We have had to make many adjustments to adapt to doing our jobs at home.  We have had to make sure we have supplies.  We have had to make sure we have access to the information we need to serve our consumers.  We have had to update our computers.  We've had to have potato chips and cookies for courage, stress relief, and stamina.

We have had to adapt to our means of communication.  Virtual meetings and telephone conferencing have become the new norms.  We have had to adapt our snacks because crunching potato chips on a Zoom meeting is very distracting.  Milkshakes and fig newtons are very quiet.

Some groups have been able to meet outside observing social distancing and wearing masks.  Fast food is quick and easy.

We may have been moving less.  (Make sure to get up, stretch, move your eyes, and walk around when you're doing computer work or virtual meetings for long periods.)  That doesn't help to burn calories!

The Quarantine 15 refers to the pounds that have been gained during the pandemic and time at home.  Dr. John Morton, MD, MPH, MHA, medical director of bariatric surgery at Yale New Haven Health System, says he has seen telehealth patients who have gained up to 30 pounds.

We always need to be conscientious about our overall health (physical, emotional, spiritual).  Now, however, we need to especially attentive.  Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, respiratory issues - all contribute to greater susceptibility, longer recovery time, and higher mortality rates.

Check with your health care professional.  Do you need to lose weight?  How can you safely do that?  Can you exercise?  You may not be able to run, but are you able to take a walk in the park?  Can you find a video on You Tube that fits your strengths and abilities to exercise?  Can you do squats while you wash dishes?

Take care of yourself.  Take care of the areas you can - diet, exercise, emotional health, spiritual health. 

This may well be a marathon and not a sprint, and we will need to be our best selves.  

Stay safe.  Wear a mask.  

[Source:  Yale Medicine, yalemedicine.org, Quarantine 15?  What to Do About Weight Gain During the Pandemic, Kathy Katella, July 1, 2020]

Photo by A. Koegler

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