I stepped into the small community center in East Vancouver just as Mei Lin was arranging chairs for her weekly support group. The fluorescent lights reflected off the linoleum floor as fifteen people gradually filled the room, exchanging quiet greetings. They had all struggled with significant weight gain during the pandemic—a story I’ve heard repeatedly across British Columbia in recent months.
“When everything shut down, my entire routine collapsed,” Mei told me, smoothing her cardigan. “I was working from home, stress-eating, and barely moving. By the time restrictions lifted, I barely recognized myself.”
Mei’s experience mirrors a troubling national trend. Canada’s obesity rates have increased significantly faster during the COVID-19 pandemic than in previous years, according to new data from Statistics Canada. Nearly one in three Canadian adults now lives with obesity—a 3.2% jump since 2018, with the most dramatic rise occurring between 2020 and 2022.
As I’ve traveled through communities across British Columbia documenting pandemic health impacts, this pattern emerges consistently in both urban centers and remote regions. The isolation, economic stress, and disruption of normal routines created what Dr. Mary Forhan, Scientific Director at Obesity Canada, calls “a perfect storm for weight gain.”
“The pandemic dramatically altered our relationship with food, physical activity, and stress management,” Dr. Forhan explained during our video call last week. “Many Canadians found themselves with reduced access to fresh foods, limited opportunities for movement, and unprecedented levels of anxiety—all key factors in weight regulation.”
The Statistics Canada data reveals that obesity rates increased most dramatically among Canadians aged 35-49, rising from 29.5% to 34.1% during the pandemic years. This age group faced unique pressures: many juggled remote work with childcare responsibilities or essential worker duties with constant exposure fears.
When I visited the Northern Health region in April, community health worker Darlene Wilson shared observations from her rural practice. “We’ve seen the double burden of food insecurity and mental health challenges,” she said as we walked through her community garden project. “Many families here already struggled with accessing affordable, nutritious food. The pandemic made everything worse—supply chains disrupted, transportation limited, incomes reduced.”
The health implications extend beyond the numbers. Obesity increases risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and severe COVID-19 outcomes. Dr. Sean Wharton, an internal medicine specialist who directs the Wharton Medical Clinic weight management centers, emphasizes that obesity should be understood as a chronic disease influenced by biology, environment, and social determinants—not a lifestyle choice.
“When we frame obesity purely as personal responsibility, we ignore powerful systemic factors,” Dr. Wharton told me. “The pandemic exposed and exacerbated underlying inequities that drive health disparities, including obesity rates.”
This perspective resonates with communities I’ve connected with across Canada. In Kelowna last month, I met Tara Beauchamp, who gained over 40 pounds while managing her restaurant through pandemic closures and reopenings.
“I was working sixteen-hour days trying to save my business, living on takeout and stress,” she said as we sat in her now-recovered café. “The weight came on so gradually I barely noticed, and honestly, survival was my priority. My health had to take a back seat.”
Health equity researchers note that obesity increases weren’t distributed equally across Canadian society. Data shows higher rates among those with lower incomes, racialized communities, and residents of northern and rural regions—populations that also faced disproportionate COVID-19 impacts.
Dr. Arya Sharma, professor at the University of Alberta and obesity specialist, suggests the pandemic may have accelerated existing trends. “We were already seeing increases in obesity prevalence before COVID-19, but the pandemic created conditions that rapidly worsened the situation,” he explained when I interviewed him for this story.
Government responses have been uneven. While some provinces have expanded access to weight management programs through telehealth, others have reduced services due to pandemic-related healthcare backlogs. The federal government’s 2021 Healthy Eating Strategy acknowledges pandemic-related dietary challenges but offers limited concrete support for those struggling with obesity.
Back in Vancouver, Mei Lin’s support group members share strategies they’ve developed. Some have found success with scheduled outdoor walks with neighbors, meal preparation routines, or mental health counseling. Others express frustration with healthcare providers who focus solely on weight rather than overall wellbeing.
“The pandemic taught me that health is about resilience, not just numbers on a scale,” said Ray, a transit worker who joined the group six months ago. “I’m focusing on finding sustainable habits that work for my life as it is now, not trying to return to some pre-pandemic ‘normal’ that maybe wasn’t that healthy to begin with.”
Public health experts suggest that addressing pandemic-related obesity increases requires both individual support and systemic approaches: ensuring food security, creating walkable communities, addressing socioeconomic factors, and reducing weight stigma in healthcare settings.
As Canada moves through the pandemic’s aftermath, the long-term health impacts are still unfolding. The obesity increase represents just one facet of COVID-19’s complex legacy—one that connects physical health with mental wellbeing, social conditions, and community resilience.
For Canadians like Mei and her group members, the path forward involves rebuilding routines while acknowledging how profoundly the pandemic transformed their lives. As I left the community center, they were sharing recipes for affordable, nutritious meals—a small act of collective care in response to circumstances largely beyond their control.
