In the short time since the novel coronavirus COVID19 has taken the U.S. by storm, more than 80% of Americans are now waking up to a “new normal” in which we cannot go to work or school outside our home. If we do venture out, we are advised to wear cloth masks and stay at least six feet away from others.
Amidst these major changes to our daily lives, I’ve been noticing friends and coworkers grumble about how they won’t be able to fit into their work clothes when this all ends since they can’t go to the gym. “Instead of the Freshman 15, we will gain the COVID 19,” my mother-in-law joked. While this is potentially true (and rather unfortunate), I have been more preoccupied with another relationship between the virus and excess weight: it appears as though persons with overweight or obesity are more likely to suffer complications of COVID19, even if they are otherwise healthy.
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Diet is an important modifiable risk factor for obesity. Although it is well-known that excess calories lead to weight gain, diet is beyond just counting calories. In nutrition, diet is the sum of food we consume. What we eat, when we eat, and how we eat all play a role in how our body takes in and uses energy.
Diet is a huge contributor to and risk factor for chronic diseases. The calories and nutrient content in food explain much of this relationship, but researchers have discovered bacteria that live in the human gut and could contribute to disease as well.
If you browse a supermarket aisle in Chile, you’ll notice something different about the candy bars, sodas, and potato chips – these and other unhealthy foods are likely to display one or more stop sign logos on their packaging, warning you about high levels of sugar, salt, fat, or calories. Since 2016, Chile has required these warning labels on the front of any product with higher-than-recommended levels of these nutrients. The country required these warnings as part of a suite of policies meant to curb obesity and other diseases linked to poor diet. Following Chile’s lead, five other countries have passed food and beverage warning policies. In the U.S., lawmakers in five states have also proposed warning labels that would apply specifically to soda and other sugary drinks. 
“How do you know that spring is coming? Magazines start calling to ask if grilled meat causes cancer.” That was the “joke” we told each other in the National Cancer Institute’s press office – as predictable as the seasons themselves, we’d start getting calls in late winter from writers who wanted to know about the dangers of the backyard barbeque. Their questions were always similar -- do grilled meats cause cancer? How? Was meat healthier if it was cooked a different way? Did the type of meat matter? How much meat is “safe” to eat?
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