Will our trousers fit after the quarantine? Effects of COVID-19 lockdowns and digital social support on personal health choices

Abstract

We examine how COVID-19 shelter-in-place (SIP) orders were associated with health behaviors and weight-management outcomes among users of a large digital weight-management platform. Using consumer-level panel data and staggered variation in SIP enactment across locations, we estimate generalized difference-in-differences models to examine changes in dietary intake adherence, exercise calories, obesity risk, and digital coach engagement. We also assess heterogeneity by text-based coach messaging and conduct robustness checks for staggered treatment timing and sample selection. SIP enactment is associated with meaningful changes in weight-management behavior among Noom users, including improved dietary adherence, higher exercise activity, and a lower probability of obesity. We also find stronger patterns of health investment among users with active text-based coach messaging, consistent with a complementary role for digital social support. Robustness analyses suggest that the main findings are qualitatively similar across alternative specifications. Our findings suggest that lockdown-related policy changes were associated with measurable changes in weight-management behavior within this digitally engaged sample. They also indicate that digital social support may strengthen health investment during periods of disruption. Because Noom users are a selected population, the broader welfare implications should be interpreted cautiously.