Virus Vices: Survey Shows More Eating & Drinking, Less Exercise

Corona belly. That's one of the things people are calling the  result of the temptation to eat and drink much more than usual during this stressful time of the coronavirus.

We already know that the coronavirus outbreak is starting to weigh on Americans’ mental and emotional health, according to the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index poll.

Americans are doubling down on their worst habits to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the coronavirus pandemic.

Substance abuse, a lack of physical stimulation and unhealthy diets are beginning to take a toll on Americans.

Alcohol sales were up 55% in the week ending March 21, according to Nielsen, which measures media as well as consumer markets. Spirits were up 75%, followed by wine up 66% and beer up 42%. Online alcohol sales were up 243%.

Weed sales are soaring in places across the country where buying marijuana is legal, although some businesses have been caught flat-footed by the demand.

Porn consumption is up, according to the website Pornhub. Traffic from the U.S. (Pornhub’s largest market) was up 6.4% on March 17.

People are eating more. With consumers relying mostly on nonperishable foods, like pasta and canned food, many are concerned about gaining weight — the "COVID-15" or the "quarantine 15."

And they're exercising less. According to data from 68,000 fitness trackers, Americans are moving less and sleeping more under quarantine. While many workouts have moved online, some are finding it difficult to get into a good workout routine at home or to find the time to do so while balancing work and child care duties.

Americans are streaming more television than ever before, and as a result, more people are binge-watching their favorite shows, meaning they're watching three or more episodes from a series at a time.

Source: Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index