(STUDY FINDS) — NEW YORK — Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercise regimen, and diet is difficult in the best of times, and it’s become that much harder in the wake of COVID-19. With gyms shut down, many Americans have turned to junk food and late night snacks to calm their viral nerves over the past few months. While college students have long fought to keep off the infamous “freshman 15,” adults of all ages are now swearing off the newly-dubbed “COVID-15.” In fact, according to a new survey of 2,000 U.S. citizens, one in two (49%) are afraid they’ll never get their pre-quarantine body back.
The average American has put on an extra five pounds since the pandemic started, and close to two-thirds said that COVID-19 has completely messed up their plans for a healthy lifestyle in 2020. A full half of respondents have already given up on their hopes of achieving an attractive summer body this year.
Commissioned by Naked Nutrition, the survey found that 65% of Americans have “let themselves go a bit” during this lockdown period. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom; among respondents who are optimistic about getting back in shape, the average person thinks it will take eight weeks of regular training to get their old body back.
