A Tale of Two Evils: Obesity and COVID-19

Author: Eric Velazquez Category: COVID19 & Obesity

Obesity is a nationwide public health problem, with all states and territories having greater than 20% of adults affected by obesity. Rates are as high as 35% in twelve US states.1  Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI-calculator provide in side bar) of 30 or higher and can be further broken down into Class 1-3, with a BMI greater than 40 being class 3.  Obesity poses significant health risks including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, and some forms of cancer.  In addition to these risks, we now must consider the increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.  

COVID-19, or SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a coronavirus and first presented itself in Wuhan, China in December 2019.  The first US confirmed case was found in Washington State on January 31, 2020.  Within a short period of time it spread from Washington to California, then to the east coast, where New York City became the epicenter of the virus.  The rate of infection quickly exceeded any other state, due to the high population density, and consisted of more than 30% of positive cases by April 2020.2  

Safiya et al found that among 5700 patients admitted with COVID-19 to 12 hospitals in New York, that the most common underlying health conditions were hypertension (56.6%), obesity (41.7%), and diabetes (33.8%).3 

Another study, in a single French center, found that obesity was present in 47.6% of patients and that the proportion of patients requiring intubation, or a tube being placed to help them breathe, increased with BMI categories and was greatest in patients with a BMI greater than 35.4  Sadly, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black adults have a higher rate of obesity and have been found more likely to suffer more severe disease from COVID-19.2

A weekly summary of US hospitalizations, provided by the CDC, also supports obesity is a significant risk factor for hospitalization from COVID-19. To learn more about COVID-19 and how to protect yourself, refer to the CDC website.

WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?

Refer to my blog on the “5 Steps for Successful Weight Loss”.  If you feel you need to take the next step in your weight loss journey, see if you qualify for Weight Loss Surgery.  People fear the word “surgery,” it is not an extreme solution and is a safe way to jumpstart your weight loss today!  Obesity is no longer a cosmetic issue, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), it is considered a chronic, progressive disease resulting from environmental and genetic factors.  Note the word progressive, you have to stop this disease now! 

Large scientific studies have shown a decrease in death risk of more than 40% in weight loss surgery patients. 

Imagine the benefits of weight loss surgery when considering the added risk of COVID-19.  To learn more about the benefits of Weight Loss Surgery, click here or register now for a free online informational seminar.

Dr. Velazquez is available by appointment or feel free to call 770-534-0110 to get started on your weight loss journey today.

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Obesity Maps. Accessed October 22, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): cases in US. Accessed March 25, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-inus.html.
  3. Richardson S, Hirsch JS, Narasimhan M, Crawford JM, McGinn T, Davidson KW, and the Northwell COVID-19 Research Consortium. Presenting characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes among 5700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the New York City area [published online ahead of print April 22, 2020]. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.6775.
  4. Simonnet, A., Chetboun, M., Poissy, J., Raverdy, V., Noulette, J., Duhamel, A. and LICORN and the Lille COVID‐19 and Obesity study group. (2020). High prevalence of obesity in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Obesity 2020. Jul;28(7):1195-1199. doi: 10.1002/oby.22831. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Co-Authored by : Dr. Jamie Velazquez (The Well-Rounded Pharmacist)