Hospital analysis: Nearly half of COVID-19 patients are obese

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Monday, April 20, 2020 | Mike Moffitt

[nickcarraway]

3 Bay Area counties share data in report published by CDC

Americans’ addiction to greasy junk food and heaping meal portions, disparities in access to healthy food and sitting for hours on end have made us especially vulnerable to COVID-19.

The United States has more obese people — about 40 percent of the overall population — than any other major nation, and obesity has been linked to chronic, preventable illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Any of those conditions can lead to a more severe outcome of COVID-19.

A recent analysis of hospital network data found that 48 percent of patients being treated for the disease were obese.

The COVID-NET report, published on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, looked at 1,482 patients in 99 counties nationwide, including Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties in California. The data were collected between March 1 and March 31.

The data showed that 9 of 10 patients had an underlying medical condition, including:

[lepton]

How fat does a guy have to be before he’s officially “obese”?

---

Using the BMI, the most healthy person, by chance to die, is considered *slightly* obese. The BMI is mis-set, and is known to be mis-set.

[lepton]

40 percent of Americans are obese and 48 percent of COVID deaths are obese people.
Obese people have more health issues.
How is this even remotely surprising?

---

What’s surprising to me is that from this the correlation appears to be relatively minor.

[lepton]

It says 40% of those in the study were obese and 48% of those with COVID were obese. Does that indicate obesity is a factor?

---

If you assume that obesity and other factors are completely independent (which they are not), then it would indicate that obesity would likely be a factor - albeit a relatively trivial one. What would show it as a strong factor would be if say 95% of those with COVID were obese. Those figures show the association to be just a bit off of random.

[lepton]

I don’t like BMI, however it is a rapid indicator for further testing.

---

That was all it was by regulation in the military - however commonly individual units used it to determine actually being overweight when it came to promotions and awards.

[lepton]

To be considered normal weight, I’d have to lose 20-25 lbs and look like a stick.

---

Yeah. At that time I was always at the lower end of ‘allowable’ body fat, and weighed about 30 lbs more than those of comparable apparent build. For me to have been at the ‘recommended weight’ I would have had to lose *all* body fat plus 10 pounds. I was one of those who sank in the pool. That said, they made me eat extra in basic training.

[Do_Tar]

Using the numbers in the article, about 40% of the population compared to about 48% of patients.
That means obesity adds a 20% risk factor.

[Teacher317]

The “normal” height-weight charts are made for Asian men. Using those same charts, Lebron James is “obese”, and Tom Brady is “overweight”. Ignore them completely.

[Secret Agent Man]

this is why blacks are a higher percentage

this virus lowers O2 levels

lungs and heart are overtaxed normally in fat people

virus makes it worse by starving a fat body of even more O2

[Secret Agent Man]

bmi is fake science

height and weight alone cant simply determine fatness

[wardaddy]

I agree

I’m six five 230

I’m supposed to be six five 190 lbs ideally

@190 I look like Buchenwald grad

Sunken temples

Ribs showing

220 is a decent weight for me actually

My BMI is 27

[Pelham]

“My BMI is 27”

So is mine. 5’9” 185. I don’t eat sweets or simple carbs. I don’t try to be keto but my diet is close to it anyway. Lowest weight I can get to is 182 and then my body fights back. I could afford to alter the ratio of fat to muscle mass but I doubt that I’d lose a pound. More likely would add a few. I was a wrestler in school so I have an idea of what fit is for me. It sure as hell isn’t what the BMI charts say.

[Pelham]

“Finally, frame size is important for BMI. An easy method to determine it is to wrap your thumb and index finger around your apposing wrist. If they do not touch, that is an indication of large frame.”

I have an inch of separation at least. No wonder the BMI doesn’t work for me.

[Wuli]

None of this should be surprising. Poor health for any number of reasons most often presents more risk, for any number of illnesses.

[cloudmountain]

5'10"=210 lbs.; 5'7"=192 lbs.

PORKY.
You know, driving is fairly complicated if one lives in a city but it's EASY to do. Even dumb 16-year-olds can drive.

Losing weight is EXTREMELY simple:
1. Eat less.
2. Move more.
THIS is so very difficult to do. And, as we age it gets harder!

Not fair.

[HamiltonJay]

Given half the us population is technically obese these days this is non news

[nickcarraway]

Don't you have it backwards? Given that half the population is obese it's ,big news.

[Osage Orange]

Nearly half the American Pop, is obese....

[HamiltonJay]

Stating that half the victims of a disease have another issue half the general population has is not news ..

[mazz44]

Actually what is happening is not a O2 probroblem. It is an oxygen transfer problem. The virus is affecting hemoglobin. Problem the reason why large dose vitamin C is showing some success is how it affects iron metabolism, thus improving hemoglobin. Hyperbaric chamber is probably better than ventilator, for this reason.

[riri]

Gee I wonder what freeper first called this months ago?