Frequency of Restaurant, Delivery and Takeaway Usage Is Not Related to BMI among Adults in Scotland

The usage of different types of food outlets was not significantly associated with body mass index during the third COVID-19 national lockdown in the United Kingdom

Background

The United Kingdom (UK) implemented several national lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic during which restaurants were closed and people were advised to stay at home if possible. These restrictions were eased and reapplied multiple times between March 2020 and May 2021. The change in restaurant access and prolonged restriction of activity may have an impact on body weight.

Aim

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of multiple lockdowns on body mass index (BMI) change from pre-pandemic till during the third lockdown and on the use of different types of food outlets and their association with BMI change.

Materials and Method

Surveys of usage of different types of food outlets were distributed online before the lockdown between 06 January and 12 December 2019 and during the third national lockdown between 29 March and 25 April 2021. The food outlet usage surveys were filled out for seven consecutive days. Self-reported BMI was reported before the pandemic and during the third phase of the lockdown. The total number of individuals who started the study before the pandemic was 681, and 60 participants completed the surveys during the third phase of lockdown.

Results

For the 60 participants in both surveys mean BMI was significantly higher during the third lockdown (28.6 ± 5.9 kg.m2) in comparison with the mean BMI before the pandemic 2019 (28.0 ± 5.5 kg.m2) (paired T = 3.09, p < 0.003). There was a significant positive association between BMI change, total number of days spent in lockdown (β = 0.05, p < 0.01, R 2 = 9.99), and age (β = 0.06, p < 0.007, R 2 = 11.8). There was no significant association between change in BMI and change in the frequency of using fast food restaurants (FFRs), full-service restaurants (FSRs), and delivery and takeaways.

Conclusion

BMI was increased significantly during the lockdown in comparison with prior to the pandemic. Individuals gained more weight the longer they stayed at home during lockdowns, and physical activity was reduced to approximately half. However, the BMI change was not related to the change in use of different types of food outlets. This pattern does not support the widespread belief that visiting restaurants or using delivery and takeaway services has a significant impact on body weight.

Consumption of takeaway and delivery meals is associated with increased BMI and percent fat among UK Biobank participants

BACKGROUND

Consumption of meals bought from out-of-home sources is a suggested risk factor for obesity, but the supporting evidence is mixed.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between consumption of different types of meals and BMI or percent body fat.

METHODS

Data were from the UK Biobank in response to a "Type of Meals Eaten" survey, which specified the sources of the meals consumed over the previous 24 h. Because direction of causality is unknown, the data were analyzed with meal choice as the dependent variable first and then BMI as the dependent variable second.

RESULTS

The total number of participants was 5197 (2841 women and 2356 men). Participants with higher BMI and percent body fat were more likely to report consuming takeaway and/or delivery meals, with prevalence ORs (95% CIs) of 2.12 (95% CI: 1.40, 3.22; Bonferroni P < 0.0001) for women's adjusted BMI, 1.95 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.93; Bonferroni P < 0.0001) for women's adjusted percent body fat, 1.65 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.59; Bonferroni P < 0.002) for men's adjusted BMI, and 1.41 (95% CI: 0.70, 2.84; Bonferroni P < 0.01) for men's adjusted percent body fat. As BMI and percent body fat increased, both men and women were increasingly less likely to report having consumed a home-cooked and prepared meal during the previous 24 h. Analyzing the data with BMI and percent body fat as the dependent variable showed that both unadjusted and adjusted BMI and percent body fat were higher in individuals reporting consumption of takeaway and delivery foods the previous day and lower in those consuming homecooked meals. The probability of having consumed a meal that was prepared and eaten at a restaurant and/or café was also associated with BMI and percent fat among men but not women.

CONCLUSIONS

Homecooked meals were more often consumed by those with low BMI and percent body fat, whereas delivery and takeaway meals were more often eaten by individuals with higher BMI. Consumption of fast-food/café meals was not consistently associated with BMI or percent body fat. The direction of causality in these associations cannot be inferred from this cross-sectional study.

The impact of the novel coronavirus movement restrictions in the United Kingdom on food outlet usage and body mass index

Background

Many countries have implemented various levels of lockdown to mitigate the spread of the global SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic. In the United Kingdom, the national lockdown restrictions were implemented between 26 March 2020 and 4 July 2020. These restrictions required all restaurants to close except for takeaway and delivery services. Moreover, individuals were instructed to largely stay in their homes, unless they were identified as essential workers, and to only leave home once per day for exercise. These restrictions might have an impact on energy intake and expenditure, thereby affecting their body weight.

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the movement restrictions in the United Kingdom on food outlet usage and body mass index (BMI).

Materials and Methods

Food outlet usage surveys were filled out for 7 consecutive days before and during the lockdown. Changes in BMI and food outlet usage before and during the lockdown were measured. A total of 206 participants were included in this study.

Results

The mean overall BMI prior to lockdown was 25.8 ± 5.2 kg·m², and during the lockdown, it was 25.9 ± 5.3 kg·m² (t= 0.19, p= 0.85). Restaurant usage fell to zero as all establishments were closed. There was a corresponding increase in the use of delivery services to 1.18 ± 0.13 times per week, compared to 0.50 ± 0.05 prior to lockdown (t= 4.44, p< 0.0001). No significant difference in the number of takeaway meals ordered was observed (0.67 ± 0.06 before the lockdown and 0.74 ± 0.12 times per week during the lockdown; t= 0.52, p = 0.60). There was no significant relationship between change in use of fast‐food restaurants and full‐service restaurants and the change in BMI, either alone or in combination (β = −0.012, p = 0.62, R² = 0.11%).

Discussion

Despite the large changes in behavior, there was no overall adverse effect of the lockdown with respect to obesity levels.

Conclusion

Lockdown in the United Kingdom modified restaurant use but had no effect on obesity levels.