ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - It's called the quarantine 15 - a joke about the average person gaining 15 pounds while stuck at home during COVID-19 pandemic. But it may have some truth.
Dr. Megan Renner, family medicine physician with the SSM Health Medical Group in St. Charles County, says some people have been gaining a lot of weight since the coronavirus pandemic began – due to all the stay-at-home orders. She says some of her patients are gaining weight, but others are losing some pounds.
The reasons for gaining weight involve fewer chances for working out, a sedentary lifestyle, and more chances of eating comfort and snack foods – she believes we may be consuming too much sugar, carbs and alcohol.
To fight this, Dr. Renner says we need to take small steps to turn things around, like starting a walking routine, dusting off that bike and/or meal planning.
Also in today's Coronvairus Facts Only Podcast, Dr. Buckhold, SLU Care general internist at SSM Health Saint Louis University addresses which groups of people are most at risk for getting serious illness from COVID-19 -- elderly, diabetics, immunosuppressed patients, obese, cancer patients, and minorities.