How ‘obese’ is a covid risk.

[j101112]

Posting here for traffic. Keep reading that being obese puts you at risk. Have read somewhere that the risk is if your bmi is over 40. Others have said it’s over 30.

My bmi is in the low 30’s so obviously I’m deemed obese by bmi. I’m not denying that I need to lose weight. I’ve actually managed to lose a few pounds over the last couple weeks.

I’m 29, pretty healthy apart from being fat, don’t smoke or drink. I’m quite active but just like food too much 🤣 barely ever ill, not had a cough in about 10 years, never had a respiratory infection. I know covid can make even the healthiest of people sick.

I’ve been minimising social contact. Other half is working in a low risk job, I’m at home, kids are at school (primary) with no cases, live in area with few few cases at the minute!

Should I be too concerned??

Just to say GOOD LUCK!!!!

Yes over 30 increases your risk
Yes other factors reduce it

You are doing a great job getting your BMI under 30 ... the best thing you can do and you would be very annoyed with yourself if you got bad Covid and hadn't done this.....

Speaking as someone who was over 30 when lockdown first came in and am now heading as fast as I can towards normal weight... still a way to go but getting there! Feels good to be 27.5 now....

BMI 40 plus is the trigger we’re using in assessing staff risks.

I think the highest risk is high blood pressure, heart issues and diabetes, all things that can come hand in hand with obesity.

I hate to be "that person" but if you're worried about health implications being obese in itself increases your chances of many health complications. Only you know the reason for it but there is help out there. Do you feel able to discuss potential reasons you're obese?

How can you not visualize, that CPR is more difficult, that machines inflating your lungs is more difficult, that the strain on your liver and kidneys is more difficult.
I’m glad you feel healthy but your kidding yourself if you think because your BMI is 30vs40 you’ll be fine. Layers of fat put a strain on all your joints and organs.

BMI 30-34 is the same risk as age +5 years
BMI 35-39 is age +14 years
BMI over 40 is age+18 years

(From alama.shinyapps.io/Covid_Age/
)

So the big leap seems to be BMI over 35

For comparison the difference between male and female is +5 years.

I've a neighbour who is morbidly obese & is asthmatic, mid 50s. She was hospitalised with covid in March, on a ventilator, recovered after 10 days in hospital, now recuperating at home and suffering from long covid symptoms.

No one is going to be able to answer this as there are so many different factors. Age I think is the biggest factor.
Just remember age and weight banding is for statistical reporting purposes. It's a sliding scale not an absolute x weight is ok but y weight isnt. Obviously the bigger the BMI the bigger the risk. Like age, the death rate is much higher in 80s than 70s but it's not like there will be a huge difference between age 79.5 and 81

The BMA have the trigger for BMI increasing risk at 35

It is indeed a sliding scale. The definition of obesity starts with a BMI of 30, but even if you're "just" overweight, you're more at risk than if you're a healthy weight.

Study which compared people in the BMI range of 24 - 28 to people with BMI less than 24:
care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/early/2020/05/12/dc20-0576.full.pdf

And as a PP said - extra weight is a risk in its own right; even if you don't have hypertension, diabetes, etc with it:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/oby.22831