What To Know About Obesity and COVID
Written by Leslie K. Hughes
Medically reviewed by Dr. Ariella Morrow
Obesity is an issue plaguing the United States. In 2020, we reached new highs and saw 42.4% of adults in the United States as obese. The CDC has something called an Adult Prevalence Obesity Map, and the 2020 one showed that “sixteen states now have an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%.”
Obesity is diagnosed using body mass index (BMI). Here’s how you calculate BMI:
Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 703
Divide that number by your height (in inches)
Divide that number again by your height (in inches)
Once you have that number, you can refer to the below table to determine where you stand.
Below 18.5: Underweight
18.5 - 24.9: Normal
25.0 - 29.9: Overweight
30.0 and above: Obese
We cannot hide from the fact that obesity is a major problem in the United States. It’s also no secret that “obesity puts people at risk for many other serious chronic diseases.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, here are some of the health issues associated with obesity.
Heart disease and strokes. You are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and cholesterol levels if you are obese, and that puts you at a higher risk of heart disease and strokes.
Type 2 diabetes. Because obesity can “affect the way the body uses insulin to control blood sugar levels,” this increases your risk of insulin resistance and thus, diabetes.
Cancer. Obesity can lead to a higher risk of developing specific cancers including cancer of the uterus, cervix, endometrium, ovary, breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, and prostate.
Digestive issues. Heartburn, gallbladder disease, and liver issues are all common digestive issues associated with obesity.
Sleep apnea. Obese people have a higher chance of struggling with sleep apnea, a serious sleeping disorder that causes your breathing to repeatedly stop and start.
Osteoarthritis. Because all that extra weight puts additional stress on joints, people who are obese may lead to osteoarthritis and other issues with inflammation.
Recently, more information has been emerging about obesity and COVID, and who those that struggle with obesity are likely to have much more severe issues with a COVID-19 infection. Studies have shown that “people with obesity who contracted SARS-CoV-2 were 113% more likely than people of healthy weight to land in the hospital, 74% more likely to be admitted to an ICU, and 48% more likely to die.”
Now those are some scary facts that warrant digging deeper into, so let’s get into it.
Why COVID Is Much Worse in People With Obesity
As we mentioned above, people with obesity are at risk of developing several other health issues, and many of them are additional risk factors for a more severe case of COVID-19 including heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes.
In addition to that, “they are also prone to metabolic syndrome, in which blood sugar levels, fat levels, or both are unhealthy and blood pressure may be high.” A Tulane University study found that metabolic syndrome increased the risk of requiring ICU care, ventilation, and death.
Studies have gone on to show other reasons why obesity makes COVID a much more dangerous experience. “Fat in the abdomen pushes up on the diaphragm, causing that large muscle, which lies below the chest cavity, to impinge on the lungs and restrict airflow. This reduced lung volume leads to collapse of airways in the lower lobes of the lungs, where more blood arrives for oxygenation than in the upper lobes.”
People with obesity have blood that is more likely to clot, which becomes even more of a risk when it comes to an infection such as COVID. A doctor stated that COVID-19 patients who are obese have “got such sticky blood, oh my – the stickiest blood I have ever seen in all my years of practice.”
And immunity because more of an issue in people with obesity because “fat cells infiltrate the organs where immune cells are produced and stored, such as the spleen, bone marrow, and thymus.” As a result, immune system tissue is lost, which makes that system struggle even more to do its job of protecting the body.
Studies on the flu vaccine and obese people are also showing that the COVID vaccine may not be as effective in people with obesity. The flu vaccine studies provided that obese people with the flu vaccine were twice as likely to catch the flu as people who were vaccinated and at a healthy weight.
Further problems are found in the fact that people with obesity may not be as likely to seek medical care because they fear the stigma surrounding their weight. That makes it difficult to really get a handle on how many obese people are dying from COVID that never sought help. Throw on top of that the psychological issues involved with COVID-19 including stress and anxiety, and people who are obese may find themselves stress eating even more than usual.
How to Combat The COVID/Obesity Issue
As you can see, obesity and COVID can be a deadly combo. So we must start looking at solutions to this problem.
One of the most important ones is that people with obesity should be extra cautious in doing what it takes to avoid getting sick. This means being diligent about wearing masks, washing hands, and getting tested regularly.
Another solution for this problem is to promote regular exercise and healthy eating habits. By losing even just a little bit of weight, people with obesity immediately improve their metabolic health and thus reduce their chances of developing severe issues from COVID-19. The Mayo Clinic offers some important dietary changes including
Consuming fewer calories (in a healthy way that still gives your body what it needs to function)
Feeling full on less food (this means swapping out things like high-sugar dessert for fruit)
Eating healthier foods (less fast food, more whole food)
Restricting certain foods (foods that provide really no nutritional value)
And when it comes to exercise, it doesn’t mean running 5 miles a day. Starting with something manageable such as walking has the power to do a lot of good things for your body. And then, building up to more intense and difficult workouts as endurance improves.
When it comes to something such as obesity, it not only affects your physical health but your mental health as well. That’s why it’s important to talk with a doctor who can help you with answers to your physical and mental health issues.
