ANXIETY AND OBESITY

The current pandemic has had an impact on the physical and mental health of the population, as well as on the health professionals involved in this context. Social isolation, a measure imposed with the aim of reducing cases of the disease, can lead to fear and panic, with significant changes in emotional and eating behaviour in terms of anxiety and obesity. This review aims to investigate whether there is an association between anxiety and obesity in times of social isolation due to the pandemic that is greater than that observed in non-pandemic situations. To this end, an integrative review was conducted on the BVS and Scielo platforms, using the following descriptors: obesity, overweight, anxiety, social isolation, and coronavirus pandemic. Articles related to the study topic were selected. In a pandemic, strategies such as social isolation contribute to increased levels of anxiety and stress in healthy individuals, in addition to intensifying the symptoms of those with pre-existing psychiatric disorders, which may be associated with higher energy intake, especially of foods rich in sugars, which increases obesity. Physical activity and psychotherapy are considered non-pharmacological, accessible and effective methods to aid in the treatment and reduce the incidence of anxiety and obesity during the coronavirus pandemic. The results of this study confirm that the pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of the population, with significant changes in social interaction, daily activities, and an increase in cases of anxiety and obesity, which are risk factors associated with mortality from HIV infection. The results of the study allow us to conclude that the social isolation imposed by the 2019-nCoV pandemic contributed to an increase in obesity due to the worsening of psychological conditions such as anxiety. There is also a need for greater investment in the health services provided by the Unified Health System (SUS).