How will they know who is obese?

[GinWithRosie]

Just that really! In the latest reports about new proposed 'rules' on shielding that 'may or may not' (who knows anymore!!) be introduced, it is saying that anyone over-50 and obese will be told to shield. But...how will 'they' know this information?

I guess I'd be in that category, at 56 and 14 stone, but nobody in authority knows my weight! I've never been weighed at a GP surgery or any other place where my weight has been recorded. I haven't even visited my new GP surgery...so they've not actually seen my body to have a clue what I might be in terms of BMI 🤷‍♀️

So...how will they know?

alama.org.uk/covid-19-medical-risk-assessment/

Yes bmi over 30 is an increased risk

[quote 110APiccadilly]@cardibach I think I misunderstood what you were saying - I'm not sure what BMI causes a significant increase in Covid risk so wasn't commenting on that!

P.S. Are you in fact a small person from West Wales or am I misinterpreting your user name?[/quote]
I was from WestWales but I’ve moved. The bach is used affectionately rather than as a literal descriptor!

@midgebabe

https://alama.org.uk/covid-19-medical-risk-assessment/

Yes bmi over 30 is an increased risk

I can’t find where it says that. It also seems a pretty dodgy tool - why measure to a ‘healthy white man’? Being male is a risk factor itself...

No idea - my GP has no idea that I am now officially obese - I was overweight before but lockdown was enough to gain another 7lbs that tipped me over into the next category. 7lbs which is proving a right PITA to shift for some reason.

I am obese. I dont have diabetes or high blood pressure I live an active, useful life. Am I fuck shielding.

Also I’ve just investigated it. BMI of between 30 and 35 gives less risk than being a man...
So I dint think you can state that it’s realistically a risk factor

i have a high bmi, not considered at risk at nhs
what shielding are you referring to?

The Alama risk calculator for employees shows that BMI beomes significant at BMI 35+

alama.org.uk/covid-19-medical-risk-assessment/

e.g. a woman aged 50 with no health conditions has a "Covid age":

for BMI < 25 ......... 45 (because 5 years advantage of being female)
for BMI 30-34.9 .... 49
for BMI 35-39.9 .... 57
for BMI 40+ ......... 59

So even morbidly obese, would probably be at no greater risk than a normal weight 60-year-old

Age is the dominant risk for almost everyone, with risk of death ~ 8 x higher for every 20 years of age
So an 80 year old has about ~8 x 8 x 8 = ~ 500 x risk of a 20-year-old

• from Prof David Spiegelhalter, (Winton Centre for risk & evidence, Uni Cambridge):

medium.com/wintoncentre/what-are-the-risks-of-covid-and-what-is-meant-by-the-risks-of-covid-c828695aea69

So even morbidly obese, would probably be at no greater risk than a normal weight 60-year-old man

Shielding was never law anyway, it was guidance. This is the uk, our citizens have free will and can decide for themselves.

So they don’t need to know your weight, nobody is going to lock you in your house for being overweight or for any other reason. You are an adult and you will decide if you want to shied

why is there a question on shielding?

How will WHO know, and to what purpose??

i think locking obese people up is the worst idea in the world

Oh joy. Lots of people will start telling me I ought to shield as I younger than that and people seem to think I'm a gran (early greying from when I was actually underweight).

Actual shielding - as distinct from the more vulnerable being cautious - is likely sensible for
those of any age who are ECV
or without health conditions but aged say 75+

Those healthy & normal weight, but aged 60+, could be advised to be more cautious about work & social contacts

It is individual choice though, not "the rules"

There’s no way they’ll ask everyone over 50 and obese to shield. For one that would mean they all qualify for statutory sick pay - massive cost. They will only reintroduce it when absolutely necessarily and not for a massive group of people

So even morbidly obese, would probably be at no greater risk than a normal weight 60-year-old man

I guess in theory, but the amount of morbidly obese people with no other health/risk factors will be relatively rare - whether they know it or not.

Even if they are not ill, I thought all over 50s would have been invited in for some sort of health checks? Like high blood pressure and pre-diabetes screening? There had been plans to invite all over 50's in for flu vaccines (though that seems increasingly less likely to happen before Christmas round here).

I would like to think most people are able to do their own assessment of whether they are likely to be quite unwell if they were to catch coronavirus and restricting their socialising as much as they are able to/ washing hands furiously and getting lots of vitamin D.

@JamminDoughnuts

i think locking obese people up is the worst idea in the world

Well quite!

And also illegal 🤣🤣

Shielding was always voluntary before. You're supposed to be responsible for knowing about your own health metrics. Why infantalise people just because they are fat and assume that means they haven't noticed their own fatness. grrr.

If the government made this decision they would need to know because if people are shielding they will generally need extra support, whether that's priority delivery slots, volunteers collecting shopping and prescriptions, safe transport for medical appointments, occasional 'befriending' calls to check they're not dead yet doing OK, etc.

That's what was put in place for ECV last time round.

Is the suggestion now that a much larger number of people should be advised to shield but with no support in place? They should just 'take responsibility'?

Government Marshalls will go door to door and order you onto a set of scales. You will then be given a badge to wear at all times which displays your level of BMI.

Seriously, I was shocked at how "low" obesity kicks in. I think we are all conditioned to say "Oh, Sarah is just a bit tubby" when Sarah is technically obese. I think it will be a huge wake up call to many of us to see where we and our loved ones are on the range.

At the start of the pandemic I was just into obese category and was terrified. I am now 3 pounds adrift of "normal" weight and feel so much better for it, so much healthier. It was odd that it took this situation to make me really want to apply myself to losing the weight.

Normally all over 50s are invited for health checks i believe. My DH is nearing 60 and had two health checks so far when they do blood pressure/bmi/blood tests etc. I'm 54 and never been called yet (i did get my breast screen at about 51 though)

There doesn't seem to be anything happening in relation to health screening in the same way that there is nothing happening with referrals etc.

But not everyone goes @Madcats I've been invited a couple of times for an over 40s MOT (before lockdown obviously) and haven't been and don't intend to.

They might not know, but you will. We have to take some responsibility for our own actions might now in looking after ourselves and others.