Kids’ pandemic weight gain
As more schools open for in-person learning and some organized sports resume, many children — like adults — are returning to the world after having packed on extra body weight.
While data is sparse on whether there’s been a rise in children’s weight over the pandemic, some health professionals have seen worrisome signs.
Suzannah Stivison, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Kensington, Md., told NPR that some of her patients put on what she calls “the other COVID-19” — as in, 19 pounds.
A loss of daily structure, in school and extracurriculars, left kids looking for a sense of control that she said many have found in eating.
“One of the ways that we regained a routine and a schedule within our families was most likely, for a lot of people, around meals,” she said.