My weight makes me more vulnerable than both of my health conditions?!

[Moriasroses]

Okay, so I’m 35.

My BMI is 38 I have asthma and I have rheumatoid arthritis.

I saw a post on here yesterday and someone had posted a link to a Covid risk calculator.

I done it several times and my risk is lower at a lower weight.

So even at my current weight, with no health conditions I would be at more risk than if I was skinner with my health conditions.

This doesn’t seem right. Does it?!

I’m well aware how much of a health risk being overweight/obese is.

I don’t think you are seeing it the same way as many others on here OP.

The fact you are saying you thought your asthma and RA were much more serious risk factors shows you underestimate the serious impact your obesity has on your health.

I just came on here to say this should be positive news for you.

Imagine if someone told you you could be rid of your RA? How would you feel?

what would you be prepared to do to get rid of it?

If they told you it would involve some hard work but in a year it would be much much better?

What about a more serious condition? One that would put you at higher risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, restrict your life with your new baby?

You have this opportunity now. I’m sure it won’t be easy, I know how tough it can be post baby but I just wanted to wish you all the best and I hope you can get healthier. Good luck.

I would also just like to add that I hope you are receiving support for your PND, it sounds like you have real life support but (perhaps I missed it,) do you have medical support for your PND?

I don’t know if anyone has the numbers of any charities that you can contact for support?

@everythingthelighttouches

I’m well aware how much of a health risk being overweight/obese is.

I don’t think you are seeing it the same way as many others on here OP.

The fact you are saying you thought your asthma and RA were much more serious risk factors shows you underestimate the serious impact your obesity has on your health.

I just came on here to say this should be positive news for you.

Imagine if someone told you you could be rid of your RA? How would you feel?

what would you be prepared to do to get rid of it?

If they told you it would involve some hard work but in a year it would be much much better?

What about a more serious condition? One that would put you at higher risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, restrict your life with your new baby?

You have this opportunity now. I’m sure it won’t be easy, I know how tough it can be post baby but I just wanted to wish you all the best and I hope you can get healthier. Good luck.

That isn't a good comparison imo, sorry. Most people regain the weight they lose and then some when they lose a lot of weight quickly. Not saying it is impossible. I seem to be at a pretty stable weight these days, but not through dieting or having stern words with myself. Quite the reverse in fact.

But comparing excess weight to a medical condition you can just get rid of and be cured for life isn't right.

Again, look at the weight loss boards here. You will see many people who have lost and then gained over and over again. It's incredibly common.

Could risk calculator is a math model and as a model it's not equal to reality and not 100% correct, it's just an indication.
However, all people with inflammation are more at risk, and you have 3 factors that show you have inflammation, I.e. your immune system reacts to some triggers - you have 2 diagnosed autoimmune conditiins plus overweight (highly likely you have insulin resistance).
The higher the initial level of inflammation in a body, the more severe cytokine storm when infected with Covid.

I was shocked that I'm on the 50/100 risk factor. I have no health conditions and am normal BMI. The only thing against me is age. So it seems that it doesn't really matter how healthy I am.

Weight gain is a bit like the gov yoyo dealing with the pandemic
Open schools ft when it should have been pt
They let the r get 'overweight" but then diet it. - shut everything.
And yes it is seriously messing with most of our mh.
It is in effect the gov greed. They know eg xmas is coming up so they had dieted again but now they are off out for work xmas do/shopping.

Are you taking vit d?

I believe about dress sizes.

• People's shapes are different
• Clothes shops have different sizes and expensive shops are more generous.

You can also see with gov handling and some mps and rich people they are happy enough for the workers/poor to die or get unhealthy from eating too much etc because of the economy.
We could do a lot more for the country weight issues. I mean EITHO wtf!
Things like a family swim being £11.

@tropicalwaterdiver

The higher the initial level of inflammation in a body, the more severe cytokine storm when infected with Covid.

So why then isn’t RA (which is an inflammatory condition) classed as a risk factor with Covid?

This was the point of my intimidating thread as is also read about cytokine storms and my worry was that having RA would make this more likely for me.

Cytokines storms often ensue in covid patients who have become severely ill with breathing difficulties, caused by covid. In these already very unwell people, the cytokine storm causes massive inflammation and rupture of the micro blood vessels in the lungs which receive oxygen. (As well as in vessels found throughout the body, hence multi organ damage seen in covid.)

So while covid enters through the lungs and initially causes low levels of inflammation in most people, (think of this as stage 1), it is only a subset Of very sick people who go on to suffer the catastrophic positive feedback loop and cascade of hyper inflammation described as the cytokines storm.

It doesn’t happen in everyone who has severe respiratory symptoms and we don’t know why. But having the initial problems with breathing (stage 1) is more likely if you are obese (mainly due to poor cardiovascular health) than anything to do with inflammatory conditions.

Sorry, that’s probably as clear as mud!

Sorry, autocorrect is changing cytokine to cytokines...aargh!

Yes unfortunately it does my DM's death cert said hyperventilation obesity and covid.
She was 14.5 stone.
RA and asthma not considered high risk unless the asthma is severe. The problem I believe is with high blood pressure issues that go with obesity.
Wear a mask keep contacts low and wash your hands start taking vitamin D.

@Emeraldshamrock

start taking vitamin D

I already do, but how do I know if it’s enough?

How much are you taking?

[quote Moriasroses]@Emeraldshamrock

start taking vitamin D

I already do, but how do I know if it’s enough?[/quote]
Ask your GP for a blood test to check your current level of Combined total of vitamin D2 + D3 first.

There are some issues around Vitamin D absorption in obese people

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6780345/

@microscopicbastard

My BMI is 28, great. That means I am at high risk. I am also 50 and have underlying health conditions.

@microscopicbastard I don't think that a BMI of 28 has any effect on your vulnerability to Covid. This puts you into the 'overweight' category rather than 'obese'.

I personally think a lot of it is to do with fitness levels and age. I have a friend (39) who has a high BMI and she is a lot more fitter than I am in terms of exercise. She caught covid at work (teacher) and she was fine. Her normal weight DH (40) had a lot more symptoms than her. According to her he isn’t as “fit” as he looks.
Similarly I may have a low BMI, but I know my fitness levels are literally non existent, I myself am ashamed of how quickly I get tired and breathless. It is something that always worries me and I intend to do something about it soon 🤞

If you have RA but aren't on steroids, DMARDs or biologics then the risk is low. Yes, we flare and have increased inflammation in our bodies BUT this is not a constant state. RA gives you good and bad days.

If you have RA and do take the above, the risk increases, as explained.

If unmedicated, the most helpful thing a person with RA can do is reduce the strain that everyday living puts on their joints. This can reduce levels of inflammation which has all sorts of benefits, including lessening the effects of c19, if you were unlucky enough to contract it.

Losing weight is seriously the best favour you can do yourself. It will reduce the RA symptoms, meaning you can move more. Getting more exercise will help you lose more weight AND improve your RA.

It really is a win-win situation.

@Moriasroses
If you are new to MN it might be useful to note that AIBU and the Coronavirus topic boards tend to attract the least sympathetic and kind responses.

[quote Moriasroses]@tropicalwaterdiver

The higher the initial level of inflammation in a body, the more severe cytokine storm when infected with Covid.

So why then isn’t RA (which is an inflammatory condition) classed as a risk factor with Covid?

This was the point of my intimidating thread as is also read about cytokine storms and my worry was that having RA would make this more likely for me.[/quote]
My friend has RA - and in high risk group. She was advised to shield by NHS/Gov and is doing it since March, orders everything online, doesnt go to public places and avoids all external contacts.

What a very strange thread.

OP, you know you are obese, that's just a fact. Your reasons for being obese are probably as varied and understandable as everyone else's.

The science tells us that obese people are higher risk for Covid. That in fact it's one of the biggest risks for Covid.

Why are you so angry at facts and science? Do you think that posting a photo where (in your opinion) you don't look the weight you are makes any difference to the science?

And this has not been 'a pile on'. It's been a lot of frustrated people being attacked wildly by an OP who is angry at science and facts.

(Said as an overweight, borderline obese person who is not making much headway doing anything about it.)

@Returnofthemaccys

It's been a lot of frustrated people being attacked wildly by an OP

Oh give over...

But it's true OP! I have the exact same impression as @Returnofthemaccys.

@tropicalwaterdiver your friend with RA is likely to be in the shielding category due to her RA medication not the RA itself.
Some RA drugs are strong enough immunosuppressants to cause concern , and are known to have issues with respiratory conditions which is why we are offered flu and pneumonia jabs routinely.
This doesn't apply to all RA meds so not all rA sufferers are shielding or considered vulnerable.
The OP says she's not on medication for her RA.

@wheresmymargharita

But it's true OP! I have the exact same impression as *@Returnofthemaccys*.

Go to the beginning of the thread and read all the OP's responses. She is nothing but civil until people start getting unnecessarily critical. She is new to MN and she didn't yet get the memo that if you are overweight on here, some people see it as their God given right to stick the boot in, despite her explaining that she has legitimate reasons for struggling with her weight at the moment.

You cannot seriously be missing why the OP might be feeling sensitive about this. She is anxious about covid, she is struggling with two physical conditions plus PND. Tbh, I'm a bit surprised MN hasn't stepped in yet, as anyone who isn't a nasty fat basher can see this thread is unpleasant.

OP has said multiple times, from the beginning, that she accepts that her obesity is a risk factor. Still she gets told she is in denial and that she is attacking everyone for merely stating the facts, (think people need to relearn the difference between fact and opinion btw. "Omg in half your weight, HOW are you that weight and thay dress size...it isn't anything to do with luck, it's my brilliance that keeps me slim " and so on).

If you honestly look back over the OP's messages and feel like you or anyone else are being "attacked boohoohoo" and that anyone other than the op should be feeling victimised on here, then I honestly think you must be very lacking in compassion.

I just felt the OP was starting to feel attacked and get very defensive while people were still only explaining the link between obesity and covid risk that she had asked about. No-one was saying she didn't have valid reasons for gaining weight or that it isn't hard to have a small baby in a pandemic or to suffer with PND. They were just factually explaining the very phenomenon the OP had asked about. The OP kept reiterating how surprising it was and made it out as if people's explanations were attacks against her.