Pediatricians report weight gain among kids during pandemic

BOSTON — Pediatricians are seeing increasing numbers of kids gaining weight during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Lori Gara-Matthews of Pediatric Health Care at Newton-Wellesley told Boston 25 News she is having daily conversations with kids and parents about their lack of physical activity and increased screen time.

“Pretty much every day, several times a day. They’re talking about, ‘We need to get more active, and we need to do more things and get off the computer,’” Gara-Matthews said. “One of the few pleasures, I think, during the pandemic, was eating with the family, and activities became so much less. So people definitely gained weight.”

Another factor for many children was constant access to food and snacks while learning at home during the school year. Some kids have felt stressed and isolated, which can also lead to unhealthy eating habits.

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But as life slowly returns to a new normal, and with a new school year and more structure ahead, Gara-Matthews said families can get back on track and become healthier.

“Now, people are really getting back into activities and finding outdoor sports that they can do again, she said. “And now that things were opening up, things were looking really up until the [Delta] variant hit.”

Rather than dwell on how many pounds kids have gained, Gara-Matthews encourages parents to reinforce healthy habits. Families, she said, should prioritize not only physical health but also mental health at a particularly trying time for kids.

“I think everybody should try to be active and move their body for at least an hour a day, get lots of good sleep, eat healthy foods,” she said. “And I like to think about it as healthy habits, rather than what number is on the scale.”

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