Lockdown has made the UK’s obesity problem ‘worse’,

HUNDREDS of thousands of people have piled on the pounds during lockdown, a new poll suggests.

Almost 450,000 people who have contributed to the Covid Symptom Study app have revealed that their weight has increased during lockdown.

It comes as people have been urged to lose five pounds to save the NHS money and help lower the risk of dying from coronavirus as part of the Government’s new obesity crackdown.

A report published on Friday from Public Health England (PHE) found that being overweight or obese can dramatically increase the risk of hospitalisation and death from coronavirus.

According to latest findings from the Covid Symptom Study app, almost a third of those taking part (29%) said they had gained weight since March 2020.

Lead researcher Professor Tim Spector said that the UK had a problem with obesity before the pandemic but “lockdown has made it worse”.

The average increase in body weight was found to be 0.78kg (1.6lbs).

Of 1.6 million people who responded to a questionnaire about behavioural changes since the start of lockdown, 35% said they had increased snacking and 34% had decreased their levels of physical acrtivity.

Meanwhile, almost one in five (19%) were eating less healthily than before the introduction of severe social restrictions and 27% were drinking more alcohol.

“Typically people snack 2-3 times a day and this accounts for 22% of total energy intake,” said Sarah Berry, associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London and principal scientist advising ZOE - the healthcare science company behind the Covid Symptom Study app.

“The increase in snacking during lockdown, especially with unhealthy, highly processed foods is likely to be a contributing factor in our observed weight gain of the UK population.

“Replacing unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks, and limiting latenight snacking, is a simple dietary strategy to improve health. But we shouldn’t use these findings to shame people about their weight, especially during these difficult times, instead we should focus our efforts to help everyone