Covid-19 and overweight
Many of us are aware of the importance of social distancing, wearing masks and washing our hands to protect against COVID-19. But for those who do become infected, startling research has emerged which shows that being obese or even slightly overweight can worsen the effect of this disease.
Covid-19 poses a specific risk to people living with pre-existing conditions such as atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and hypertension, conditions also common in people with obesity. An increasing number of reports have now also linked obesity to more severe Covid-19 illness and death.
* The statistics What has been termed “the elephant in the room” when it comes to this pandemic, is the fact that overweight and obesity are already major global healthcare problems, now just making a really serious global health situation that much worse. Data from the first 2 204 patients admitted to 286 National Health Service Intensive Care Units with Covid- 19 in the United Kingdom revealed that 72.7% of them were overweight or obese. Research has found that patients with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome might have up to 10 times greater risk of death when they contract Covid-19. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. These conditions include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Given the extremely high rates of overweight and obese people around the globe, a high percentage of the population who will contract coronavirus are expected to also have a BMI over 25.
* Lockdown weight up To add fuel to a growing fire, for many people staying at home, consumption of more sugar and refined flour, along with less mobility and physical activity, has put many people at an increased risk of metabolic disease. An additional health challenge during the coronavirus crisis seems to be the consumption of a varied, nutrient-rich diet and keeping calorie intake under control. The current crisis and the need to stay home is prompting many people to rely on processed food with longer shelf life, instead of fresh produce, and canned food which is generally higher in salt. The resultant economic downturn caused by this pandemic might well worsen obesity, especially among the most vulnerable.
* A local perspective Dr Gary Hudson, a specialist physician practising in the Western Cape, with a special interest in weight management, reiterates that there is a definite link between the more obese areas of the world and those that are being severely affected by this disease. He says that Covid-19 is spreading among a global obese population that numbers 2.4 billion people, which means that more than 30% of the world’s population is at risk of severe disease and even death.
* More about BMI BMI is a simple calculation using a person’s height and weight and calculated as BMI = kg/m2. Although it is not the most accurate measurement, it is the widely accepted global definition of obesity as per the World Health Organisation, that defines a BMI of over 25 as overweight and over 30 as obese. “It is a very important clinical measurement,” says Dr Hudson, who says that even a BMI of over 25, which is literally just above the normal weight range, seemed to correlate with a higher incidence of serious disease, particularly when combined with a comorbidity such as hypertension. It is important to stress that the presence of abdominal fat is associated with a high risk of severe complications due to Covid-19. This is relevant for people with a mild increase in weight, and not only for the extremely obese. In South Africa, 70% of women, 35% of men and 13% of children fall into the obese and overweight category. Only 30% engage in regular formal physical activity and 82% consumer high calorie low nutritional and processed fast foods. “Don’t wait. More than ever, it is important to lose weight,” Dr Hudson says.
* Where to from here? Lifestyle can have a major impact on a person’s immune system. The basic weapons against many diseases, and now also against Covid-19 illness is diet and exercise, weapons available to most of us but not nearly enough of us take advantage of them. Therapeutic interventions such as proven weight loss medication and low-calorie diets might well be some of the tools that could potentially reduce the risk of developing lifestyle related diseases. More than ever before, eating real foods and exercising might help save lives. If you are worried about your weight, or for any further information, speak to your doctor for advice about how to lose or manage your weight. Go to www.ilivelite.co.za for more information, to check your BMI and weight circumference and access to professionally developed dietary guidelines which feature different meal plans to suit various lifestyles and energy requirements.
