America’s obesity rate is currently at a staggering 42.4%, up from 30.5% just twenty years ago. Obese individuals have a body mass index of 30 or higher. To fall into this category, someone who stands 5’9 ″ (the average height for a man) must weigh at least 203 pounds. Similar individuals who tip the scale at 237 pounds have a body mass index of 35. People in this category suffer much more from the effects of COVID-19. A study in France found that they needed twice as likely mechanical ventilation after entering the intensive care unit compared to individuals with healthy weights. A systematic review found that obese COVID-19 patients were 2.3 times more likely to have serious illness. Public Health England recently shared the most brilliant data. “For people with a BMI of 35 to 40, the risk of death from COVID-19 increases by 40% and with a BMI above 40 by 90%, compared to those who do not live with obesity.”
realclearscience.com/blog/2020/08/13/the_blunt_truth_about_covid-19_and_obesity.html
