Is obesity one of the least talked-about risk factors for severe complications from COVID-19?<\/p>\n
The data is not yet overwhelming, but an increasing number of doctors<\/a> and public health experts<\/a> are beginning to ask aloud how significant obesity is as a risk factor for complications from the coronavirus.<\/p>\n The CDC already considers<\/a> people of any age with morbid obesity (defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above) as a \u201chigher risk\u201d population. But are people who are merely categorized as overweight or obese \u2013 about 70% of the adults in the United States \u2013 also at increased risk of severe COVID-19 complications?<\/p>\n The most dramatic evidence comes from a study<\/a> of 112 Chinese COVID-19 patients, in which remarkable difference in disease outcomes based on BMI was found. 17 of the 112 patients died, and 15 of those patients were overweight (88%), whereas only 18 of the 95 survivors were overweight (19%).<\/p>\n This week, the United Kingdom\u2019s National Health Service found that over three-quarters of COVID-19 patients in intensive care are overweight. This data was less striking \u2013 62% of the nation is categorized as overweight<\/a> \u2013 but still prompted much commentary:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Quite a number of us had warmed about how our diet is killing us. The stats show that almost 2\/3rds of critically ill coronavirus patients are overweight. — Prof Chris Elliott OBE (@QUBFoodProf) March 24, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
Another critical focal point once we get COVID done @DrAseemMalhotra<\/a> @JoannaBlythman<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/NZLiiDJqKT<\/a><\/p>\n