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

Xiaolei Li, Jian Li, Ping Qing and Wuyang Hu
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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

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-14

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; lifestyle; bodyweight; time allocation; food choices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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