“Before and after Covid-19” memes, where the second image is a disheveled and bulkier reflection of the first, have amplified the weight gain phenomenon known as #quarantine15 (similar to the dreaded “freshman 15”). Though some would say that concern over gaining weight while death tolls mount is superficial and/or fatphobic, others empathize over the added anxiety, stress, and isolation during a pandemic—not to mention interrupted fitness routines. “People have been socialized to commiserate about their weight as a way to connect and bond with other people,” author Virgie Tovar told The San Francisco Chronicle, and it may be an easier issue to be vocal about than, say, one’s mental health. She added: “People have always turned to weight loss as a way to feel like they’re in control of factors that they’re largely not in control of.”