Jennie has said to lose weight before the 2nd wave in the winter.

[Hippofrog]

Jennie Harries has advised that overweight people should lose weight to reduce their risk during a 2nd wave in the winter. I’ve lost half a stone recently. Is anyone trying to lose at least a stone before the winter?

I did some research years ago on obesity and deaths, and being a little bit overweight was better than being underweight. This may have been updated now, so might not be correct as it was about twenty years ago.
I was underweight at the time, and now, although my BMI is fine, I am a little bit chubby, so I hope it is true...

@ILoveStickers you are right -overweight had the best outcomes. I had a BMI of 43 now at 33...getting there (aiming for 26/27 by Winter)

I did some research years ago on obesity and deaths, and being a little bit overweight was better than being underweight. This may have been updated now, so might not be correct as it was about twenty years ago

But the problem with this is that you're not looking at the right things - you're looking at outcome over a short timescale - the only people who die in short timescales are people who get a disease and need treatment. Once you need treatment, many things help if you have some reserves, especially for the old.

However what this doesn't mean is that it's good to be overweight, if you look at longer time periods then being overweight is more clearly bad. Your risk of developing things you kill you is much higher if you're unfit and/or overweight, once those things turn near fatal though then a little bit of extra weight can help.

Being overweight for 30 years to mitigate the heart attack you have at 60 is not actually a positive outcome, 'cos the people who weren't overweight those 30 years weren't having the heart attack.

No, I do see that , I am really not suggesting anyone get a bit fatter as a health plan. I was slimmer pre lockdown and I definitely felt fitter and had more energy so I need to make the effort to stop stress snacking.

There is no causation shown between vit d deficiency and obesity. Of course, people who are obese may feel crap and that may affect efforts to be healthy elsewhere.

I think the reason this thread is going round in circles a bit is that the following all need to be tackled to improve your chances of a good Covid19 outcome if you get it.

Type 2 diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Obesity (which can cause and worsen the above two).

The issue is that having type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease are not considered moral failings, where as obesity is.

The entire discourse around Covid19 and people being quite dismissive about older and disabled or vulnerable people being more at risk of dying has revealed some unpleasant truths about what we as a society consider worthy and morally deserving.

Winter is a coming folks, winter is coming!!

Thanks @IloveStickers, interesting link.

I was underweight when the crisis started and it was the push I needed to gain a few pounds. I also reckoned that, if I did get the virus and die, I'd rather die having eaten cake than not.

I'm now a healthy weight and hoping to stay there.

"I did some research years ago on obesity and deaths, and being a little bit overweight was better than being underweight. "

For everyone or for older people? I have heard of similar stats though.

Yes I really agree Princess
I have found the casual “they are old/ill so dispensable “ attitude through covid really upsetting. I have quite a few much older friends and family members who I love very much, and plenty of younger friends with “underlying health issues” .

monkeytennis wow that's brilliant! Keep going!

Love your user name!!!

being a little bit overweight was better than being underweight

Yes, I've seen this, too, including mentioned in some covid research, though I can't remember where, apologies.

Noting the difference between 'a little overweight' and 'obese', though.

• and I also agree that the callousness that I've heard people dismiss vulnerable, ill and elderly people has been sickening.

What bothered me was not even so much the deaths but the manner of the deaths. We all deserve a good death, or as good a death as possible.

@BaconAndAvocado thank you! I've come up to bed as hungry and don't want to snack.. 20 more pounds until I'm in the overweight category although pretty chuffed at the 45lb loss so far

@princessbuggerpants - you say that there is no connection between vitamin D deficiency and obesity, but there is a known, well-researched connection between vitamin D and insulin.
Insulin is the fat storage hormone.

@ScrimpshawTheSecond

being a little bit overweight was better than being underweight

Yes, I've seen this, too, including mentioned in some covid research, though I can't remember where, apologies.

Noting the difference between 'a little overweight' and 'obese', though.

I've no idea if this is connected, but I had volunteered to donate plasma for Covid research purposes and they called me tonight to go through the screening questions. I didn't get past the first one as apparently I don't weigh enough at 10 stone. Apparently at my height (5'7) I need to weigh 11'9 before they can take plasma - which I think is technically slightly overweight.

Found this on flu and respiratory illness, done well pre-covid though

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6304312/

'There is an increased risk of being hospitalized in adult participants that are underweight or morbidly obese,'

And this - slightly vague, with a clickbait headline - study that shows underweight is a risk more than even obese/severely obese - but this, again, isn't covid specific.

'Underweight patients of all ages (those with a BMI of 18.5 or under) were found to face a 1.8 times greater risk for dying than patients with a normal BMI (between 18.5 and 25.9), the study found.'

www.webmd.com/diet/news/20140328/underweight-even-deadlier-than-overweight-study-says

I suppose the focus depends on the proportion of the population at risk - and I think there are more people obese than underweight in the UK?

This is from 2014

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35933691

'More obese people in the world than underweight, says study'

It is so long ago that I researched this, I have forgotten the fine details, and as I say, things change, but I think it was an overall rate of death thing. Being slightly overweight was protective.

I've lost some. It's been a great motivator...

@DianaT1969 That still doesn't show that vitamin d deficiency causes obesity.

From what you have suggested you could potentially conclude people who are obese become vitamin d deficient, and then perhaps that causes problems with insulin sensitivity, which leads to t2 diabetes.

As has been previously stated though, most people who are underweight tend to have other physical conditions that make them more vulnerable to viruses.

I just fell into disordered eating whilst training for a half marathon. So boosting my weight wasn't a problem (and now I need to lose about half a stone to keep a good running weight).

The spirit is willing but the cake is delicious...

I was very overweight a year ago (BMI 40 - category THREE obese! ) and I've lost three stone so far (BMI 33). Another three stone will take me to the top of a healthy BMI so I'm chipping away at it and knowing that I could be badly affected by Covid is a good motivator to keep going.

Very motivated by the people who have lost a fair bit of weight here.
I've moved my BMI down from 38 to 35, aiming for 30 for now, and eventual long term goal is around 26. But it's slow going!

Keep on going @SpinningLikeATop ! I lost another 1lb this morning so that's 46 now since lockdown, aiming for another 12lb or so before I have to go back to work in September.