CDC study finds about 78% of people hospitalized for Covid were overweight or obese

[Nabas]

Everyone gets so defensive about weight but it is no different than any other unhealthy lifestyle choice. Smoking, excessive drinking, and hard drugs may kill you differently and at a different pace than a poor diet but they aren't really all that different.

Actually, if you analyze the data critically (and ignore the article's spin), COVID seems to be one of the few health issues not exacerbated by weight.

Many medical experts assumed those who are overweight were at higher risk for bad outcomes from COVID. I (no medical expert) believed them and assumed the same.

Yet CDC data shows no apparent correlation between COVID hospitalizations and weight.

Just goes to show that experts are not always right.

 

[pigletgirl]

Weight? No.

Untreated high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea (the trifeca really) put people at a much higher chance of severe covid.

 

[DLgal]

Excessive weight is correlated with higher levels of inflammation and immune system overreactions. Both of these things can cause bad covid outcomes. It doesn't always have to be about blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Simply having too much fat, especially visceral fat, can put people at risk for an altered immune response to covid or any other pathogen.

I'm overweight, but my labs are literally ALL in the ideal range. I work out several times a week and generally eat a lot of healthy, whole foods. My problem is I like sweets. I'd probably be obese if I stopped being so active. Still, I know that the extra 20 pounds I'm carrying around aren't doing me any favors and I worried about getting covid all last year because of it.

BMI isn't the best indicator of health, that is true. But people shouldn't kid themselves either. *Most* people who are overweight on the BMI chart could probably lose 5-10% of their body weight safely, and be better off for it.

 

[VandVsmama]

What's the point of debating all of this?

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

You implied it though with saying that those who have a BMI outside of “normal” need to have all those things looked at. You said yours falls within “normal”, I’ve said mine falls within “overweight” despite having my doc and labs say I’m healthy.

Why wouldn’t those with normal BMI need to be asked the same questions? Your own words said I should be asked, but you shouldn’t. There are plenty of people with “normal” BMI who eat like absolute garbage and aren’t healthy. It’s equally dangerous to assume somebody with a higher BMI is less healthy as it is to assume somebody with a normal BMI is healthy.

The whole point is BMI is outdated and not a good tool for measuring health.

ETA: to be clear, I’m not taking this personally, just using myself as an example to try to articulate how dangerous broad brush assumptions can be.

Sadly see a lot of people make excuses. Forget the BMI bc that is only one measure, are you saying that this is incorrect, that we are not a very overweight nation? Or that the findings re Covid and being overweight which the study seems to show and that being overweight isn't the cause of MANY issues in this country? That was my point actually. So are you saying that is not so? Or are you in denial or making excuses. Only you know that but yes I would look at that, that is my point.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Nobody said blow it off. However, those things need to be looked at regardless of BMI. Being within the guidelines of BMI doesn't automatically make one healthy. It alone is a terrible measure of health. That's my entire point.

How do you know that you're healthier than me? Do you really think BMI is the only thing that tells you that?

See a lot of excuses or trying to say it isn't true or over stating it. Obesity causes many issues that was all I was trying to say. I wasn't in a debate about BMI measurements, just that seems some deny or make excuses.

Weight? No.

Untreated high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea (the trifeca really) put people at a much higher chance of severe covid.

Yes and all related to obesity. So we can argue semantics like BMI isn't a good indicator, it is a fact that obesity is a serious issue here, and they relate worse Covid issues to it and it should be taken seriously. Not getting into arguments about BMI.

 

[Christine]

See a lot of excuses or trying to say it isn't true or over stating it. Obesity causes many issues that was all I was trying to say. I wasn't in a debate about BMI measurements, just that seems some deny or make excuses.



Yes and all related to obesity in many cases. So we can argue semantics like BMI isn't a good indicator, who cares, it is a fact that obesity exists and they relate worse Covid issues to it and it should be taken seriously. Obesity is a real SERIOUS issue and so many live in denial

It's a very sensitive topic these days. Primarily because obesity is the "norm" now and more people have it than not. We've normalized it and it "looks" normal to us. Plus, it's very hard to lose weight because most of us who might be age 45 or younger have grown up with "overeating" habits for our entire lifetime, not to mention food that was considered limited treats to now be everyday items. People who were born in the 60s and earlier, clearly remember a time when they ate differently and the mental attitude toward food was very different than it is today. I'm speaking in generalities of course as there are still people in the U.S. who do have a proper upbringing when it comes to dietary lifestyles. It's hard for people to not get defensive or to feel powerless against food when it's the way they have always lived. They truly believe that they aren't doing too many things wrong and they can't help it.

 

[MillauFr]

What's the point of debating all of this?

So WALLe won't have to rescue us from the Axiom

 

[BlueStarryHat]

What's the point of debating all of this?

Boy, you said it.

 

[Heigh-Ho]

Wow this thread turned out to be awful!

Not that I couldn't see the writing on the wall but wow people!

 

[Christine]

Actually, if you analyze the data critically (and ignore the article's spin), COVID seems to be one of the few health issues not exacerbated by weight.

I haven't fully woken up yet but from the CDC site, I'm seeing this:

Obesity Worsens Outcomes from COVID-19
Adults with excess weight are at even greater risk during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Having obesity increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. People who are overweight may also be at increased risk.
• Having obesity may triple the risk of hospitalization due to a COVID-19 infection.
• Obesity is linked to impaired immune function.2,3
• Obesity decreases lung capacity and reserve and can make ventilation more difficult.4
• A study of COVID-19 cases suggests that risks of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death are higher with increasing BMI.5
  • The increased risk for hospitalization or death was particularly pronounced in those under age 65. 5
• More than 900,000 adult COVID-19 hospitalizations occurred in the United States between the beginning of the pandemic and November 18, 2020. Models estimate that 271,800 (30.2%) of these hospitalizations were attributed to obesity.6

 

[Disneytrippin']

"You have covid"

"Did you just call me fat?"

 

[Nabas]

I haven't fully woken up yet but from the CDC site, I'm seeing this:

Excessive weight is correlated with higher levels of inflammation and immune system overreactions. Both of these things can cause bad covid outcomes. It doesn't always have to be about blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Simply having too much fat, especially visceral fat, can put people at risk for an altered immune response to covid or any other pathogen.

Most people assumed what you wrote is correct. I assumed the same. But CDC data doesn't show a particularly strong correlation.

Quoting from the article:

Among 148,494 adults who received a Covid-19 diagnosis during an emergency department or inpatient visit at 238 U.S. hospitals from March to December, 71,491 were hospitalized. Of those who were admitted, 27.8% were overweight and 50.2% were obese, according to the CDC report. Overweight is defined as having a body mass index of 25 or more, while obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or more.​

These two numbers total 78.0%.

Yet from the CDC:

• Percent of adults aged 20 and over with obesity: 42.5% (2017-2018)
• Percent of adults aged 20 and over with overweight, including obesity: 73.6% (2017-2018) [meaning 31.1% overweight]

I suspect weight gain is up since 2017-2018, particularly in this year of COVID, during which people are staying home. This means that the 73.6% reported by the CVC for 2017-2018 is almost certainly low. In 2020, I would not be surprised if this number is closer to 75%.

With this in mind, let's reverse the numbers and assume 25% of the population is not overweight. They still made up 22% of hospitalizations.

Those who are overweight made up (roughly) 32% of the population and accounted for 27.8% of the hospitalizations. (Note that is is about the same ratio as those who are normal weight, yet the CDC wrote "People who are overweight may also be at increased risk." The CDC data that I am quoting does not support this.)

Those who are obese made up (roughly) 43% of the population and accounted for 50.2% of the hospitalizations.

Although there is some correlation between obesity and COVID hospitalizations, it's not as strong as many expected.

More than anything, age is the determining factor in COVID outcome. Quoting from the CDC:



The age correlation is many times stronger than the weight correlation.

Many health issues are associated with obesity. The CDC's goal is to encourage people to live healthier lifestyles. The CDC cannot tell you to be younger, but they can encourage you to lose weight.

I respectfully suggest looking at the data behind the words to understand what is really happening.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Honestly I see a lot of people that are overweight that make excuses. Forget the BMI bc that is only one measure, are you saying that this is incorrect, that we are not a very overweight nation? And that being overweight is not the cause of not only Covid which the study seems to show that majority are overweight but being overweight isn't the cause of MANY issues in this country? That was my point actually. So are you saying that is not so? Or are you in denial or making excuses. Only you know that but yes I would look at that, that is my point.

That isn’t what I said at all. I never said there weren’t concerns with being overweight or obese. I said using the BMI scale as a measure to determine who was overweight or obese is the problem. The scale itself is archaic and outdated. For many people, being in the “normal” range would actually leave them underweight.

What exactly am I in denial about? What excuses am I making. I have been to my doctor. I have done my labs and all my screenings. I know how often I work out. I know I’m healthy. So no, the BMI number doesn’t discount all of that. But to you it does. That’s the problem.

ETA: I saw your next post as well. Yes, actually you did argue about BMI, not overweight/obesity. The original post you quoted was talking about the BMI scale being a poor indicator of health. It was not about overweight/obesity.

ETA, again: I agree that being overweight/obese CAN bring health issues. So if that’s what you’re actually trying to say, we agree. However it’s still important to remember that being a normal weight doesn’t preclude you from those same issues. And that I stand by the BMI scale being a terrible indicator of what each level is.

But there is no point in continuing to debate this. You’ve made your feelings about overweight/obese people abundantly clear.

 

[handinpocket]

You’ve made your feelings about overweight/obese people abundantly clear.

Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc........don't care about your feelings.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc........don't care about your feelings.

Never said differently. They don’t always care about your BMI either.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

Wow this thread turned out to be awful!

Not that I couldn't see the writing on the wall but wow people!

First it was "just let the old people die, they were going to die anyway"
Now it's "just let the fat people die, they were going to die anyway"
Slippery slope, people.

 

[monsterkitty]

Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc........don't care about your feelings.

A person can have each one of the disease you listed and not be overweight or obese.

Type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with a person's weight.

A person can be born with a heart condition and has nothing to do with a person's weight.

My mom is 76, 5'7" and weighs about 135 pounds. She walks her Australian Shepherd 5-6 miles per day. She's had high blood pressure for at least 35 years.

My DH has high cholesterol that must be controlled by medication. He actually has the "you're screwed" gene as his doctor put it for heart disease. He is in very good shape and not over weight. Heck, our neighbor is a 13 year-old level 10 gymnast and she has high cholesterol, as does her mother and 18 year old brother.

Is obesity an issue in the country? Yes it is. I see kids bring nothing but a big bag of Takis or Hot Cheetos and a large bottle of Mountain Dew for lunch every day. They may not be overweight now, but I can guarantee the amount of salt the are consuming a day will lead to high blood pressure at some point.

Does obesity cause the above health conditions? Yes but so do genes.

On the flip side, a person can be obese and have none of these conditions yet a person who is average or even underweight can.

COVID doesn't really give a care who it infects and who struggles the most with it. COVID just cares that it infects and mutates so that it can continue to survive. Just like every other virus does.

 

[dclpluto]

No matter what weight your at. Just do the right things and don’t get covid.
my wife and I had everything g going against us. I work in a factory.My wife works in a supermarket in customer service. We live in hard hit New Jersey. We have been on three vacations since covid two of the trips involving airplanes. Things can be done safely work, shopping, vacations, etc But lots of people as we see don’t do things safely. I’m not blaming anyone who got it from a person they live with. One person makes a mistake the whole house might get it. We need to do a better job. This should of been over a long time ago. I know there will be lots of comments on this I call it like I see it.
Now if you a nurse or doctor on the front line and get covid not blaming you.

 

[DLgal]

No matter what weight your at. Just do the right things and don’t get covid.
my wife and I had everything g going against us. I work in a factory.My wife works in a supermarket in customer service. We live in hard hit New Jersey. We have been on three vacations since covid two of the trips involving airplanes. Things can be done safely work, shopping, vacations, etc But lots of people as we see don’t do things safely. I’m not blaming anyone who got it from a person they live with. One person makes a mistake the whole house might get it. We need to do a better job. This should of been over a long time ago. I know there will be lots of comments on this I call it like I see it.
Now if you a nurse or doctor on the front line and get covid not blaming you.

I fully agree with you. I think the majority (not all) of people catching Covid at this point in time are simply not being careful, either purposefully or not. I saw an Onion article yesterday that was something like "CDC spokesperson says that catching Covid pretty embarrassing at this point." It made me chuckle, but there is some truth to that sentiment, hard as it may be to accept.

I post this after coming back from the supermarket where I saw no less than 3 people chit chatting with others with their whole entire noses sticking out of their masks. Come on, people. Get it together.