SALT LAKE CITY — With colleges closed across the nation because of the novel coronavirus, the “freshman 15” has given way to a new kind of weight gain, affecting not just students, but also their families.

Behold “#the quarantine 15” and “#theCovid19” — hashtags born of a time when Americans are spending an unprecedented amount of time near their pantries and refrigerators.

With gyms closed and stress baking in high gear, there are signs that weight gain, like job losses, might be widespread.

Equipment sits unused at VASA Fitness in Salt Lake City due to the COVID-19 outbreak on Friday, April 10, 2020. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

The website Allrecipes.com has rolled out a new section titled “Quarantine Cooking.” Grocery stores are running out of flour, yeast, cake mixes and eggs. And social media is filled with pictures of the cinnamon rolls, muffins and other decadent treats. One woman decorated a cake to look like a roll of toilet paper, and a Tennessee baker is offering an online course on stress baking during times of crisis.

Behind the humor, however, there lies a serious question: With obesity a risk factor for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, should we all be dieting instead of baking? Some who specialize in helping people with body image and eating disorders worry about the effects of fat-shaming and weight obsession during a time when people are emotionally vulnerable.

“We do not need to shame ourselves for wanting treats. And we do not need to shame ourselves for gaining weight. We are trying to survive an unprecedented global situation. Surely that is task enough right now?” wrote Tracy Isaacs, a Toronto professor and co-author of “Fit at Mid-Life.”

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With widespread concern about both Americans’ mental health during the pandemic and a steadily increasing obesity rate, is comfort food a good idea? Or is it the so-called “quarantine diets” that are bad?

Chef Boyardee and Kraft

Hilary Levey Friedman, of Providence, Rhode Island, is among the self-identified stress bakers posting photos of her creations on social media. On Instagram, she shared a photo of a strawberry cake she made with a Betty Crocker mix, then decorated with candy morsels that spelled COVID 19.

Hilary Levey Friedman’s “COVID 19” cake pokes fun at the weight some people expect to gain during self-quarantine. | Hilary Levey Friedman

It’s the kind of thing that Friedman, author of a forthcoming book on pageants, normally wouldn’t be doing. But Rhode Island’s stay-at-home order, effective until May 8, is changing how — and what — she’s cooking.

“I’m looking up recipes from my childhood, from my favorite restaurants. As an example, when I was a kid, my mom would make me Pepperidge Farm raspberry turnovers, the frozen ones. I’m totally doing that; we had them last night. I find myself craving those childhood things,” she said.

“And then my kids want dessert, and we have the time, so I’ll bake a cake and decorate it,” she said.

Nostalgic eating is going on across the country, The New York Times has reported. Supermarkets are seeing increased demand for Chef Boyardee ravioli and Kraft macaroni and cheese, childhood staples for many baby boomers. Such eating choices are a normal response to stress, according to tips provided by corporate wellness company Virgin Pulse. “Anytime you’re feeling particularly stressed out — whether it’s at work or at home — and you’re feeling aimless, human nature leads us to what’s comfortable.”

What’s comfortable, unfortunately, isn’t always healthful. Those raspberry turnovers that Friedman is craving have 240 calories and 13 grams of sugar per serving, more than half the amount of sugar recommended for women in an entire day.

The occasional treat during quarantine is fine if it genuinely makes us feel better, said Candice Seti, a licensed clinical psychologist, nutrition coach and personal trainer in San Diego, who provides weight-loss therapy.

The problem is, for many of us, indulging in comfort food can make us feel worse, not better, especially when it’s done repeatedly. And the type of foods that we tend to eat in times of high stress are the high-starch, high-fat variety that trigger cravings. “They have this dopamine effect on the brain that is calming and a little soothing,” Seti said. “The problem is that it’s very temporary. And it sets us up to need more and more.

“I do think it’s a bit concerning that people are turning to comfort foods in this time because the reality is, you don’t want to be establishing or maintaining a habit right now that’s going to be really hard to change later,” she said.

Get a move on

Another problem with comfort food and desserts is that, like alcohol, they can weaken our immune system, making us more likely to get sick from the novel coronavirus.

“Good nutrition is crucial for health, particularly in times when the immune system might need to fight back,” the World Health Organization says. The agency also recommends exercise during self-quarantine to maintain physical and mental health.

That’s something that Paige Fieldsted, of Taylorsville, is doing with her two children to get through the pandemic. Fieldsted, author of the 2019 book “Confessions From Your Fat Friend,” says she hasn’t gained any weight in recent weeks, in part because many of her favorite restaurants are closed or inaccessible. It also helps that she’s been having daily “dance parties” with her children, who are 2 and almost 5. “I do think it’s important to find ways to move your body in a way that makes you happy,” Fieldsted said.

That’s similar to advice that Seti, the psychologist in San Diego, is giving her clients: Get off the couch and have a one-person dance party. 

“It feels really fun and happy and enjoyable, and also gives you an energy release, and those two things combat stress,” she said.

People who are starting to gain weight from emotional eating should first identify the emotion behind the behavior; for example, is it stress, boredom or fear? Then, address the issue that’s causing you to overeat, or eat poorly. “If you are bored, I guarantee there are things you can do to cure your boredom. And there are definitely other ways to address stress.” Typically people do best when they incorporate some type of movement in their lives, along with activities that are calming, such as meditation or talking with friends on the phone, or taking a hot bath.

She also advises people to follow the same meal times that they observed before self-quarantine. “What that does is avoid the all-day grazing that tends to happen when people are home.” And she also recommends setting a hard and fast time to close the kitchen every night. “Lights go out, everything closes up, no one goes back in the kitchen.”

Increasing water consumption can also cut down on urges to eat and reduce cortisol. “The more you are taking care of your body, the more you are calming your body,” said Seti, author of the 2017 book “Shatter the Yoyo.”

‘It all needs to be OK’

Lindsay Kite, co-director of the nonprofit Beauty Redefined, said that some people who are struggling to deal with the uncertainty of a pandemic and its disruption to our daily lives are, in effect, “directing our anxiousness to our bodies.”

“We cope by treating our bodies like projects or fixer-uppers, and when we can’t eat the same salad for lunch or hit the gym every day, it stresses us out,” said Kite, who lives in New York City but is currently in self-quarantine with her sister in Salt Lake City.

That’s why so many articles about “quarantine diets” have popped up on the internet, to Kite’s dismay.

“Focusing on losing weight — or even on not gaining weight — is a bad strategy because it pins our hopes and fears on our bodies,” she said. “The reality is, you might gain weight. You might lose weight. It all needs to be OK.

“It might be outside of your control, especially if you’ve lost income or if you or a loved one gets sick or you’re stuck inside teaching kids and working from home with no time or place to work out. Have some compassion for yourself and recognize that this is an unprecedented time in any of our lives.”

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But Seti cautions that self-care during the pandemic should not include practices that might cause them another kind of stress once the stress of the pandemic is over.

“I am wary of anyone starting a habit that they are going to have to work really hard to undo later on,” she said.

Or, like Friedman, maybe we can find a way to have our cake and not eat it.

She says she didn’t eat a bite of that “COVID 19” cake she posted on Instagram. “But my kids loved it.”

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