Valencia, Negros Oriental – On the fateful day of 12th December 2019, coronavirus (SARS-Cov2) started a human acute respiratory syndrome pandemic that first appeared in Wuhan, China. According to the COVID-Case Tracker from Johns Hopkins University, there were 90,973,418 COVID-19 cases as of 28th July 2022 and 1,028,819 COVID-19 deaths worldwide.
The COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant negative influence on people's health, resulting in abrupt lifestyle changes, social exclusion, and domestic isolation, as well as social and economic repercussions. Not only do the medical and biological sciences need to be understood in order to maximize public health during this epidemic but also the human sciences pertaining to lifestyle, social and behavioral research, including dietary practices and way of life.
Two main factors are hoarding food owing to the restrictions on grocery shopping and remaining at home (which includes digital learning, smart working, and limiting outdoor and gym physical exercise). Additionally, the quarantine's disruption of the daily schedule could lead to boredom, which is linked to consuming more energy-dense and nutrient-poor diet. Along with being boring, reading or hearing nonstop about the COVID-19 in the news might be aggravating. Stress makes people eat more than they should, especially "comfort foods" high in sugar, referred to as "food cravings". These foods, which are mostly high in simple carbs, help lower stress because they promote serotonin synthesis, which improves mood. However, the glycemic index affects how much of a food urge is caused by carbs.
The maintenance of a balanced diet and regular exercise was hampered by this new situation. The consumption of fresh foods, especially fruit, vegetables, and fish, was reduced because of limited access to visits to the market or grocery shopping, as opposed to foods that are highly processed, such as convenience foods, junk food, snacks, and ready-to-eat cereals, which tend to be high in fats, sugars, and salt.
People's reactions to the COVID-19 outbreak on a psychological and emotional level raise the possibility of developing disordered eating habits. It is well known that the so-called "emotional eating" phenomenon can result from the experience of negative emotions. People may be more likely to look for others to interact with to contrast and react to the detrimental sensation of self-isolation.
With all these challenges, it is always imperative to practice healthy eating by following the Pinggang Pinoy and the Ten Kumainments and other healthy lifestyle habits to protect ourselves from the coronavirus that is still in our midst. // ND II Nina Estela Lindsay Romero, RND
