Body Weight and Food/Eating-Related Behaviours during COVID-19 Pandemic, Traumatic or Stressful Life Events

This Reprint of the Special Issue brings together current research examining how the COVID-19 pandemic and other stressful or traumatic events have influenced body weight, eating behaviors, and psychological well-being across diverse groups. The collected studies highlight the role of lifestyle factors-such as diet quality, physical activity, smoking, and vitamin D use-in shaping vulnerability to COVID-19, while also documenting the profound behavioral and emotional shifts triggered by lockdowns and social restrictions. Evidence from college students, high-risk clinical populations, women from the community, and children reveals increases in stress, disrupted routines, weight changes, and heightened susceptibility to disordered eating. Additional contributions explore how social inclusion and exclusion affect individuals with eating disorders and assess public engagement with energy labeling during the pandemic. As a whole, this Reprint underscores the need for holistic public health approaches that integrate physical and mental health to better support populations in the aftermath of widespread societal disruption.