Many of us are eating stress because of the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted daily life, isolated people from their friends and family, and created an economic crisis.

In addition to all this, it also affected people’s mental and physical health. A global survey earlier this year confirms what many have already experienced firsthand: The virus and resulting lockdowns have led to dramatic changes in health behaviors, with people around the world cutting back on their activity physical and consuming more junk food. It also worsened anxiety and disrupted sleep.

And those who are obese, who already face increased health risks, may have been the worst, researchers say. While they tended to see improvements in some aspects of their diet, they were also the most likely to report weight and mental health issues.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, interviewed nearly 8,000 adults around the world, including people from 50 different countries and all states in America. The researchers found that the decline in healthy behaviors during the pandemic was quite common, regardless of geography.

They found that most people became more sedentary and many said that they had given in to their cravings for food. Consumption of sugary drinks and sugary snacks, for example, has increased. About 27% of people said they gained weight after the first lockouts took effect.

The findings, published in the journal Obesity, offer a lesson in caution. With months before we can safely return to our pre-pandemic routines, now may be the time to assess healthy habits we may have let slip and find new ways to be proactive about our physical health. and mental.