How Lockdown Has Affected People's Health

For anyone that has watched the television or read a newspaper over the last year they will no doubt be aware of the tremendous consequences to locking down an entire population. In this post we’ll look at the major health consequences that have arisen from stay at home orders and how they will pan out over the weeks and months to come.

The average person has gained around 23 pounds over lockdown, that’s around 2 stone or 10 kilos. This is not only unsightly but puts pressure on the heart and musculoskeletal system particularly the knees and low back. Everyone knows weight gain is bad for you and science and modern medicine certainly supports this. A 2 stone weight gain in under a year is particularly concerning as many of these people may have maintained a healthy weight prior to this. Weight gain is one of the main risk factors for both heart disease and diabetes and is involved in many different types of cancer.

With the gyms being closed and people encouraged to stay at home in order to save the NHS people have not only exercised less but they’ve also moved around less in general. Combining this with a dark, cold winter people’s metabolic rate has slowed dramatically, which is one of the main causes of weight gain. But a lack of movement and exercise has many other negative effects on the human body. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress, keep the heart and lungs healthy while also producing the happy hormones called endorphins which are so good for the brain.

With the lockdowns and the associated lethargy, depression and loneliness people have resorted to comfort eating and drinking (along with drug abuse). These habits have led to the increases we’ve already spoke about with regards to weight gain but will have no doubt contributed to diseases such as diabetes and heart disease as most people comfort eat foods high in sugar and fat. Ice cream, crisps, chocolate and biscuits are all common comfort foods and they are high in calories as well as simple carbohydrates. Increase in alcohol uptake does exactly the same thing leading to an increase in excess calories along with liver and kidney damage.

Doctors are reporting a threefold increase in the prescription of anti-depressants over the past 12 months. These drugs all have side effects and can become addictive if used over long periods. Doctors warn of a tsunami of mental health problems that are being stored up in the system due to locking people away in their homes. This has also led to an increase in suicides, particularly among young people who feel they have no hope for the future. The mental health crisis will grow and grow for as long as these stay at home orders remain in place.

In conclusion, the evidence is clear that lockdowns have caused huge societal damage including the health of the population. These negative impacts range from excessive weight gain, deteriorating mental health and food, alcohol and substance abuse. The full ramifications of these effects won’t be fully appreciated for years, if not decades, to come.