Covid Deaths Surge Where Obesity Rates Are High, Report Shows
ByCovid Deaths Surge Where Obesity Rates Are High, Report Shows
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Pedestrians shop in the U.K.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Pedestrians shop in the U.K.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Countries where more than half of adults are overweight have recorded Covid-19 mortality rates in excess of 10 times those in other nations, according to a report by the World Obesity Federation.
Of the 2.5 million pandemic deaths reported by the end of February, 2.2 million were in countries above the 50% threshold, the study showed, suggesting obese people should be included in priority groups for testing and vaccinations.
Dangerous Weight
Countries with higher obesity rates have seen more deaths from Covid-19
Source: World Obesity Federation, Covid-19 and Obesity: The 2021 Atlas
Covid deaths as of Jan. 1, 2021; Adult overweight BMI > 25kg/m2 (2016)
Obesity has almost tripled worldwide in the past four decades and is on the rise all over the world. Last year the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warned it’s a “global pandemic in its own right.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, being overweight has been associated with a higher risk of hospitalization, admission to intensive or critical care, and the need for mechanically assisted ventilation.
In the U.K., overweight people were 67% more likely to need intensive care after contracting Covid-19. Those considered obese were three times as likely to require ICU treatment.
Read more: Covid-19 Raises Existential Question for a $3 Trillion Industry
Hundreds of thousands of Covid-related deaths could have been prevented if all countries had overweight prevalence below 50%, the report said. The organization called for better obesity prevention and treatment strategies.
— With assistance by Zoe Schneeweiss, and Eric Coleman