Obesity and COVID-19

An article released today at the Financial Times confirms the importance of keeping a healthy body weight to fight disease. Excess body fat decreases the immune system and promotes a vicious cycle of physical and mental stress.

The article explains a cross-sectional analysis study* of about 4,000 COVID-19 patients made in New York City treated by a single academic health system last March 2020. Both age and obesity were associated with critical illness.

Researches found that body fat triggers chronic inflammation leaving infected people more susceptible to complications. COVID-19 primarily affects people over 60 but this study found that if you have a body mass index (BMI) over 30 you are twice more likely to need intensive care even if you are young. If your BMI is over 35, then you are 3.6 times more likely to end up in the ICU. Sadly, only half of patients in intensive care recover from this disease.

I suggest you skip the fries, the mayo and all fried foods from now on if you are overweight. In the Weight Management section you will find tools to help you lose weight in a healthy way. Losing weight is a journey and I can help you to achieve your goals.

Chronic health conditions such as strokes, heart attacks and hypertension are risk factors that increase your probabilities of ending up in the ICU. Obesity increases these chronic health conditions. People with Type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome have up to 10 times greater risk of death when they contract Covid-19. This a very serious number!

Eating a healthy diet does not have to be expensive. A plant based diet will offer enough calories and nutrients to lose weight in a healthy way. Long term weight loss is important to improve your immune system and decrease risks of disease. Exercise is also necessary to increase metabolic expenditure and promote weight loss. In addition, learning about your genetic profile could offer a more effective approach in your efforts to lose weight.

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*CM Petrilli, SA jones, J Yang, H Rajagopalan, LFO'Donnell, Y Chernyak, K Tobin, RJ Cerfolio, F Francois, L I Horwitz

Factors associated with hospitalisation and critical illness among 4,103 patients with COVID-19 disease in New York City

doi:https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.08.20057794