One in three UAE residents gained weight since coronavirus outbreak, survey finds
Nearly a third of people in the UAE have gained weight since the outbreak of the coronavirus, a survey has found.
University of Sharjah researchers said a lack of exercise and eating more meals were the main contributing factors.
The survey interviewed almost 4,000 people in the Middle East and North Africa, including 1,012 UAE residents.
In the UAE, 31 per cent said they had gained weight since travel restrictions and workfrom-home protocols were imposed. A further 20.9 per cent said they had lost weight, while 40 per cent maintained the same weight, with the rest unsure.
The survey was carried out in April, when the UAE imposed stay-at-home measures, including a strict permit system in Dubai. It has since been lifted and people of all ages are urged to exercise, while taking precautions.
“In a time like this, when the world is going through unusual changes directly affecting people’s lifestyles, it was necessary we conduct such a research,” said Dr Leila Ismail, who led the study.
The survey found that people who eat between three to four meals a day in the UAE rose from 51.5 per cent to 56.5 per cent during the coronavirus crisis.
The number of people eating five or more meals a day rose from 2.1 per cent to 7 per cent.
Asked about exercise, 38.5 per cent said they had taken none since the pandemic set in. In addition, 72.2 per cent of UAE respondents did not drink the recommended eight cups of water per day.
The study found 37.7 per cent felt tense most of the time and 28.1 per cent had poor sleep.
The respondents were also asked about their spending habits.
More than 80 per cent said they had started making shopping lists, either for online shopping or to avoid lingering in supermarkets.
“This developed practice will positively affect purchases, restricting them to necessities and will also reduce the time people spend at grocery stores,” said Dr Ismail.
Professor Ayesha Al Dhaheri, vice dean of University of Sharjah, said the results showed a need for greater public awareness about healthy eating habits – and crucially about exercise.
“It emphasises the importance of providing health, nutritional and psychological consultation during the crisis, through tele-medicine techniques,” she said.
She said more research will need to be carried out to understand the effects of the pandemic on our lives.
People from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen also took part in the online survey.