Body mass index in young men in Switzerland after the national shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a cross-sectional monitoring study at the population level since 2010

Lifestyle and BMI Changes after the Release of COVID-19 Restrictions: Do Humans Go 'Back to Normal'?

Humans adapt their life history strategy and lifestyle behavior to the environment. The social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the years 2020-2021 led to changes in diet and physical activity habits in large parts of populations worldwide. Additionally, many people reported an increase in body weight during the pandemic. We investigated how diet quality, physical activity, and BMI changed since the end of the COVID-19 restrictions in Switzerland (2019-2023). We assessed diet and physical activity using a standardized questionnaire. We measured anthropometry and BMI using a stadiometer and a balance of a medical bioimpedance analyzer. Our results show a stable BMI in men and women during the pandemic. In both sexes, diet quality and physical activity levels did not change significantly during this time. Among women, physical activity and age were associated with BMI, while in men, apart from physical activity, high diet quality and living in the agglomeration were associated with BMI. Overall, we did not find evidence for a transient "unhealthier" lifestyle immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we found constituent sex differences in BMI determinants. Our results could indicate a higher resilience in highly educated persons and might contribute to more personalized approaches to prevent obesity.

Trends of physical fitness related to weight status: An analysis including over 412,000 Swiss young male conscripts from 2007 to 2022

Objective

The high prevalence of obesity among young adults in the civilian population pose challenges in recruiting physically fit soldiers. We assessed the trend of physical fitness related to weight status among Swiss male conscripts.

Methods

Cross-sectional data of medical examination data during mandatory conscription for the Swiss Armed Forces, 2007-2022 (N = 412,186). The conscription physical test (CPT) assessed five aspects of physical fitness, each aspect scoring 0-25, one component being an endurance test (ET). CPT and ET categories were defined as per military guidelines: "Insufficient", "Sufficient", "Good", "Very Good" and "Excellent". Weight status was based on body mass index (BMI).

Results

Conscripts with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and overweight (BMI 25-29.99) had significantly (p < 0.001) lower CPT and ET scores compared to normal weight [multivariable-adjusted mean: 54.7 ± 0.1 and 66.5 ± 0.1, vs. 73.6 ± 0.1 for CPT; 8.8 ± 0.1 and 12.5 ± 0.1, vs. 15.3 ± 0.1 for ET] and a higher likelihood to be categorized as "Insufficient" [weighted relative-risk ratio and (95 %CI): 70.4 (63.7-77.7) and 2.35 (2.16-2.55) for CPT; 77.1 (71.0-83.7) and 3.05 (2.91-3.20) for ET] or "Sufficient" [7.67 (7.38-7.97) and 2.02 (1.99-2.06) for CPT; 8.93 (8.37-9.52) and 2.02 (1.98-2.06) for ET]. Compared to normal weight conscripts, the CPT and ET scores decreased over the conscription years for conscripts with obesity (multivariable-adjusted mean yearly change: -0.11 ± 0.02 for CPT; -0.032 ± 0.007 for ET) and overweight (-0.16 ± 0.01 for CPT and -0.044 ± 0.004 for ET).

Conclusion

Male Swiss conscripts with overweight and obesity have lower physical fitness than normal weight conscripts, and this condition tends to worsen over the conscription years.