Being overweight is a underlying condition

[Oakmaiden]

I had totally missed this.

If you have a BMI above 40 then you are considered to be at high risk and should self isolate for 12 weeks.

Anyone know why?

You are sort of missing the point. Yes the woman in the picture are different heights, but also will have different levels of muscle mass too. I look identical to the fourth in the line, up I’m significantly heavier and probably have more muscle mass.

My mum and I are only around 12lbs apart in weight, she is very big with very swollen legs and literally no muscle(disabled for 20+ yrs) and wears a size 26-28 in clothes, I wear an 18 and am at least half her size if not more.

Yes people with a higher bmi will have more visceral fat around their organs etc and may have other complications putting them in the higher risk group but I expect this applies to many more than people think because it’s not always clear cut.

It's really reassuring to hear that my family could be left without me because of my weight. That doesn't make me feel like a piece of shit at all

You already can’t have a lot of surgeries and operations with a BMI of 40 or over, including some Cancer surgeries that require GA. ICU ventilation is incredibly invasive and requires patients to be really fit to make a recovery (rather than just survive). In the event of rationing here your ability to recover as opposed to just survive will be assessed and BMI is already a criteria

Interesting that being a smoker is not on the list of underlying health conditions. I can't believe that is any better for you than being morbidly obese

I have a friend who has a bmi over 40 and she’s out of breath walking about. Even talking she sometimes Has to pause and gasp. So if her lung capacity struggles without being ill I can see why people will be considered at risk.

@DentalPatient

Are you saying they haven’t caused it?

@jerseygaly
"I think it's a difficult situation I wouldn't want to be a Dr trying to decide between
A very overweight person
A smoker
An asthmatic
A t1 diabetic."

Personally if they were all equal risk I hope the doctors would give treatment to the the asthmatic or diabetic because they are not the fault of the individual. Smoking and obesity are lifestyle choices.

Is it really news that morbid obesity is linked to lots of underlying health issues, some of which might not be diagnosed?

If those crying "saying a BMI of 40+ us morbidly obese is fat shaming me" would rather not socially distance in the name of denial and feelings then go and mix as normal, but do so knowing ignoring medical advice means needlessly placing themselves at higher risk and is placing additional strain on the NHS. Why should a doctor be forced into juggling patients when the reason one of them is there is "I didn't like anyone commenting on my weight so ignored guidance"?

It's still good to know that MN is running as normal though. It wouldn't be a thread mentioning weight unless someone turned up rubbishing BMI as being mean to larger people within the first 2 pages.

It’s clearly due to the strain people’s respiratory systems are already under due to being severely over weight. Think of someone seriously over weight and how easily they can get out of breath. It’s really to try to protect these people.

^ this

Ever heard someone who is MO trying to climb stairs.

It's not about fat shaming or making people feel bad or being at the back of the queue when it comes to ventilatiors it's about taking steps to ensure you don't need a ventilator because you'll be in more chance of needing one than someone whose respirating system is more able to cope with the stress of this virus.

I'm hoping that people do see the negative effects of their lifestyles that contribute to weight gain and will start thinking about making changes if this virus is here to stay.

Covid 19affects your respiratory system, the system that provides oxygen to all parts of your body and removes carbon dioxide waste from your body. If you are overweight then not only do your lungs have to work harder to provide enough oxygen and remove the CO2 but your heart has to pump harder to push your blood through the extra blood vessels that your body has made. Some medics estimate that it's an extra mile of blood vessels for each pound you are overweight.

Overweight people who say they have no underlying illnesses like diabetes or hypertension are lucky, but don't forget that your body is already working at full stretch, much harder than someone of a lower weight, so putting an illness like CV into the mix - which actively blocks areas of your lungs and reduces their efficiency - means that you are certainly at a higher risk if you are seriously overweight.

This deaded me.

reddit.com/r/fatlogic/comments/fk7eqi/ragen_chastain_claims_obesity_isnt_a_risk_factor/

There wasn't one particular reference - One newspaper from a few days ago said "these people should isolate for 12 weeks ) but being overweight wasn't on that list). Another said "being overweight has been added to the list".

I then checked, and it has been added to the list, but you are right in as much as 12 weeks isn't mentioned specifically (it actually says indefinitely, which could be longer)and it does say "stringent social distancing" rather than self isolating.

But I guess that wasn't the point of my post. My post was asking why people who were overweight were considered to be more at risk. Which lots of people have answered - thank you.

I wasn't acting as a device to tell people what they should or shouldn't be doing.

makingmiracles I’m not really sure what your point is with the pictures? The woman who is size 8 and 6ft at 11 stone would have a healthy BMI, whereas the shortest lady would have a BMI classified as obese. They are all the same weight not the same BMI.

Maybe the point you were trying to make is that BMI does not account for muscle mass therefore you could have a lady or indeed man who is heavy for their height but their %fat mass would be very small. The short lady in that picture does not look remotely athletic. Yes you can be heavy and healthy technically, but you are also highly likely to be toned too so wouldn’t appear to look so big. At a size 18 it is highly unlikely as much as you don’t like to admit it that you are as healthy as someone who is classified as “normal weight” and wears a size 12.

For everyone that's helpfully pointed out that my weight will kill me I am aware of that and I'm trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle to lose weight. This however will not happen in the next 12 weeks. I will weight less in 12 weeks than I do now but I'll hardly have lost 10 stone.

Great . I’d be classed as morbidly obese then as was a stone overweight until being placed on anti coagulants at Christmas which has caused a one stone weight increase ..

@pumpkin I'm a size 18 with a BMI of 29. 5foot 6. It surely can't be that accurate a measurement.

Morbid obesity affects the safety and practical application of intubation and ventilation.

It's either dangerous or very difficult/impossible to do.

Morbidly obese people cannot be intubated safely - so if it comes to the crunch, they will not be selected for treatment.

So they should keep safe.

Nothing to do with judging lifestyles.

That is classed as severely obese/overweight. Anything that puts more strain on the system means someone's more at risk from CV, Even high blood pressure, which is really common, as it puts more strain on the heart. Being severely obese puts more strain on a lot of organs- again, particularly the heart.

Its lovely though isn't it that regardless of any issues we are facing at the moment, schools, businesses, elderly relatives etc at risk - regardless of all the problems, MN Massive still has time to point at the fatties. Reassuring that people haven't lost their standards.

I was just watching some fat loss UK programmes on youtube the other way about NHS work in the area. It was interesting some doctors want to get people of 20 - 30 stone who are still young enough in their 20s or 30s not yet to have most major problems that will come later and help them lose weight (or staple them inside) so they lose the weight before the problems develop. I suspect a lot of the larger mumsnetters are relative young so would be in those categories. Even so might be a good time to try to lose weight as if food is short that might make it even easier (not that it is ever easy..... on my pre-holiday [if we get a holiday] diet now........)

@DishingOutDone yup, some of us may not make it but that's entirely ok because it's our own fault because we didn't step away from the cake.

Some situations are different from others.

A friend of mine, ex forces 20 years ago, very active. Developed degenerative disc disease, mobility restricted, weight has very slowly piled on since then.

Sure, being overweight ultimately means too many calories are consumed than used, but when normal levels of physicality aren’t an option, you aren’t burning off what a normal able bodied person would be doing

@DishingOutDone Exactly.
Do you really think people don't know they are fat or that it is unhealthy? FFS. No need for the moral lecturing. Just answer the question about why for this virus.

MN Massive still has time to point at the fatties

No. Nobody is 'pointing at the fatties'. Nobody is saying 'Fat people are this, that and the other'. Nobody is saying 'Fat people should die'. What they are saying is that morbid obesity is a serious risk to health anyway, regardless of the coronavirus outbreak. That's a medical fact. I'm sorry if you don't like that but it's the truth.

I'm in that category so am practising social distancing only been to the shop fpr food

ive never been offered a flu jab due to my weight though

I just want to say anyone reading these who has been made to feel ashamed and worthless by some of the posts, or feels more even anxious now they will be left to suffer by the doctors should they fall ill (which is not true), please, please ignore some of these poorly-timed posts and feel free to DM me if you need someone to talk too.

So saddened by this thread.