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COVID-19 and the Change in Lifestyle: Bodyweight, Time Allocation, and Food Choices

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  • Xiaolei Li

    (College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Jian Li

    (College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Ping Qing

    (College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Wuyang Hu

    (Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA)

Abstract

We analyze the dynamic changes in individuals’ lifestyle during the COVID-19 outbreak and recovery period through a survey of 1061 Chinese households. Specifically, we are interested in individuals’ bodyweight, time allocation and food choices. We find that COVID-19 is associated with weight gain, less time spent on exercise and more time on entertainment. The proportion of online food purchase and snack purchases also shows an upward trend. This study provides useful implications on the impact of COVID-19 and its associated lockdowns on individuals’ lifestyle and offers foresights for countries in different stages of the pandemic. It explains how encouraging exercise, managing new food purchase venues, and reducing the intake of unhealthy food such as snacks may also need to be considered in dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaolei Li & Jian Li & Ping Qing & Wuyang Hu, 2021. "COVID-19 and the Change in Lifestyle: Bodyweight, Time Allocation, and Food Choices," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10552-:d:651908
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jie Feng & Jian Li & Wuyang Hu & Gucheng Li, 2022. "Public Interest, Risk, Trust, and Personal Protective Equipment Purchase and Usage: Face Masks Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-16, May.
    2. Qing Chang & Yiheng Shu & Wuyang Hu & Xiaolei Li & Ping Qing, 2022. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Meal Gathering in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Boram Lee & Chan-Young Kwon, 2022. "Comparative Effectiveness of East Asian Traditional Medicine for Childhood Simple Obesity: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-19, October.
    4. Fei Huang & Wenqiu Guo, 2023. "Rise of Mental Sub-Health Consumers: Examining the Compulsive Buying Behavior in the Post-COVID-19 Era," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    5. Wuyang Hu & Shan Sun & Jerrod Penn & Ping Qing, 2022. "Dummy and effects coding variables in discrete choice analysis," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(5), pages 1770-1788, October.

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