Changes in eating habits among adults during the covid-19 pandemic

Uravnotežena prehrana je ključnega pomena pri ohranjanju zdravja in zmanjševanju tveganja za nastanek virusnih bolezni, kot je tudi covid-19. Prehranske navade odraslih so se v času pandemije covida-19 spremenile. Vzrokov za spremembe prehranskih navad je bilo več, med njimi manj redno obiskovanje trgovin, zmanjšanje prihodka zaradi izgube službe ali zmanjšanega obsega dela, strah pred okužbo, delo od doma, slabša dostopnost hrane, zmanjšana telesna dejavnost, zaprtje vzgojno izobraževalnih ustanov, restavracij, lokalov in javnega življenja. Ukrepi in spremljanje novic so pri posameznikih lahko povzročili osebne stiske, stres in tesnobo. Mednarodne in nacionalne organizacije ter zdravstveni delavci in prehranski svetovalci so ljudi nagovarjali k uživanju uravnotežene prehrane, ki naj bi vsebovala sveže sadje in zelenjavo, oreške, polnozrnata žita in živila živalskega izvora. Odsvetovali so uživanje večjih količin živil z visokim deležem sladkorja, nasičenih maščob in soli ter prehranjevanje zunaj doma. Odrasli so uživali več obrokov kot običajno, pogosteje so zajtrkovali in uživali hrano v poznih večernih urah. Iz higienskih razlogov in strahu pred okužbo so ljudje pogosteje nakupovali pakirana živila z daljšim rokom uporabnosti, zato se je vidno zmanjšalo uživanje svežega sadja in zelenjave, rib, morskih sadežev, svežega mleka in mesa. Odrasli so pogosteje posegali po sladkih in slanih prigrizkih, zaprtje kavarn pa je bilo vzrok za zmanjšan vnos kave, sladkih brezalkoholnih in energijskih pijač ter alkohola. Vnos alkohola se je povečal predvsem pri posameznikih, ki so že predhodno imeli težave s čezmernih uživanjem alkohola in pri ljudeh z otroki. Sorazmerno z zmanjšanjem prehranjevanja v restavracijah se je zmanjšalo uživanje hitre hrane, povečala pa se je domača priprava obrokov.A balanced diet is the key to maintaining good health and reducing the risk of developing viral diseases, including COVID-19. Eating habits of adults changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several reasons for these changes, such as less frequent shopping, reduced income due to job losses or reduced working hours, fear of infection, work from home, poor access to food, reduced physical activity, closing of educational institutions, restaurants, bars and other restrictions on public life. Individuals may have suffered personal distress, stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 measures and news coverage. International and national organizations, as well as health professionals and nutrition consultants encouraged people to eat a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and animal source foods. They advised against eating large amounts of foods high in sugar, saturated fats, salt, and warned against eating outside home. Adults ate more meals than usual, had breakfast more often, and ate late in the evening. Due to sanitary reasons and fear of infection, people were more likely to buy packaged foods with a longer shelf life. Therefore, the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, seafood, fresh milk and meat reduced significantly. People indulged more often in sweet and salty snacks, while the closing of cafes resulted in reduced consumption of coffee, sugary and energy drinks, and alcohol. Alcohol intake increased mainly in individuals who had already had problems with excessive alcohol consumption and in adults with children. Fast food consumption decreased proportionately to the decrease of food consumption in restaurants, while home cooking increased