Dispensary Corner

EFFORTS to stave off a COVID19-induced lockdown in Sydney, may be influenced by evidence from the UK that showed people splurge on poor-quality fattening foods.

The Appetite study authors found that despite having more time at home to prepare healthy options, locked-down Britons have opted for calorific foods, presenting at-risk adults with the prospect of managing weight gain.

Lead author and University of Sheffield Lecturer in Psychology, Dr Nicola Buckland, said stresses created by the pandemic were associated with reported increases in overall savoury and sweet snack intake, in a survey of 588 people taken during the UK’s first lockdown.

“The findings showed that, in terms of dietary changes, not everyone responded the same way to the lockdown,” she said.

“Over half of the respondents (53%) reported increased snack intake, 26% reported decreased snack intake and 20% reported no changes to the amount of snacks they ate during the lockdown.

“When we looked at the participants’ eating styles (based on responses to the questionnaires), we found that participants who scored low in the ability to control cravings were more likely to report increased snack intake.”

The study’s shock findings have left Dispensary Corner pondering dinner options, with plans for a takeaway tonight, now scuppered.