1 in 4 Belgians gained weight since the start of the corona crisis
A large-scale poll conducted by the health institute Sciensano has revealed that quite some Belgians have become fatter over the past weeks. Some 40,000 Belgians took part in the poll, "and this allows us to discover trends", says Sciensano.
Many people could be seen jogging or walking in parks during the corona lockdown, but don't be mistaken: many people just stayed inside. Here are the figures: 23 percent of those aged above 18 years of age did more physical exercise, but on the other hand almost 30 percent was less active.
The percentage of people that is sitting or resting for at least 8 hours a day, is now at 56.1 percent. This number has doubled compared to 2018. All this results in 1 in 4 people gaining weight.
At the same time, tobacco consumption is up, but alcohol consumption has dropped. Compared to 2018, some 23 percent of the respondents says they consumed less alcohol than in "normal times", but 37 percent admitted they smoke more.
The online poll was staged in two parts, from 2-9 April and from 16-23 April. The Belgian lockdown started mid-March.