Vaccine priority group 6 and high BMI

[ProbablyFault]

Does anyone know whether individuals with high BMI are included in vaccine priority group 6, and (if so) what the BMI cut off is? I'm looking into this for a family member, but struggling to find any official info. Thanks.

@MrsBlobby43 and @Rowenasemolina that's amazing, well done! Two questions... how are you doing it, and did you have a crap diet before you started trying to lose weight?

I'm slowly losing weight but it's hard. You go to slimming world and people lose a stone by cutting out sugar in their tea and not eating biscuits. If you've been obese for a long time, that stuff has all long gone. I'm not obese because I live on takeaways and biscuits. I don't eat hidden calories in coffees etc.

I've been very low carb- worked for a year, then stopped working and weight crept back up. Weight watchers. Slimming world. I get so far, then grind to a halt and over time it creeps up again. It has to be the only thing I'm thinking about at the time- ironically lockdown has really helped with that!

I'm glad for both of you, but don't think you can say your experience is typical. I'm past the menopause, have fibromyalgia, an under active thyroid, mild asthma. Mental health is a bit wobbly (past trauma).
Most people who are obese have other things going on.

Thanks kitkat thats what I thought too. I am about 1and a half stone overweight but working on losing it :)

@Jenasaurus

Thanks kitkat thats what I thought too. I am about 1and a half stone overweight but working on losing it :)

Well done you! Keep it up😘 x

My bmi is 39.
I’ve lost 5.5lbs in 2 weeks and I’m hoping to keep going.

I love how another poster in this thread has just said ‘just lose the weight’ like it’s really easy.

With regards to carers being in group 6. I care for ECV father, and was told by go surgery that wouldn't make me a higher priority as only I'm only 28. Guessing I should phone back and put them straight

@Rowenasemolina

That’s because people who have not been long term very obese don’t feel able to judge those that are, in case there is some genuine psychological block , delusion or compulsion that they don’t understand.

Those of us who have been long term morbidly obese know perfectly well that there is nothing to losing the weight except self discipline.

That’s it. That’s All it needs.

So having been in that situation myself, yes I can judge. I can judge myself for all those years, using no self discipline at all. And I can judge anyone else who, in a worldwide health emergency, still can’t be bothered to help themselves and the whole of society by doing the one thing within their power to increase their chances of surviving and recovering if they get ill

I judge them, and make no apology for that

Bollocks. I am bmi 35 so obese but not morbidly

I eat pretty normally. I am big busted, big hipped as are most of the women on my Father's side of the family. Who btw looked just like me, even back in the 1950s. I also have diet resistant large legs (lipedema) which is a condition shared by about 10 percent of females and is inherited and hormonally controlled. I am perimenopausal and have a thicker waist than when I was younger.

I managed to get from 13.5 down to 11.5 stone by eating just 600 calories a day (2 milkshakes and a small meal) for 8 months. It was of course unsustainable. I kept at 12 stone for a further 6 months but within 6 further months was 13.5 stone again. Even at 11.5 stone my trunk was tiny and my legs disproportionately large.
I walk 5k and cycle 5k on my exercise bike daily. I eat low carb 95 percent of the time. I would love to be effortlessly or even effort fully slim.

Example food day: breakfast full fat greek yoghurt or very small bowl of porridge (smaller than my 10 year old daughter's). Lunch smoke salmon, scrambled egg, and spinach (swerving the toast the rest of the family adds). Supper roast chicken thigh and mediterranean veg. I drink 3 glasses of wine on each of Friday and Saturday nights.
At my 45+ MOT last year my blood pressure, blood sugar, vitamin levels across the board etc were normal. My cholesterol slightly high 5.7 but I am told this is typical during menopause.

I am keeping myself as healthy as I can but fuck me I am not, have never been and will never be a person with a low bmi and it is not sheer laziness keeping me here.

@whataballbag

www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/press-releases/carers-uk-welcomes-new-jcvi-advice-which-includes-unpaid-carers-in-the-vaccination-priority-list

[quote AvonCallingBarksdale]@whataballbag

www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/press-releases/carers-uk-welcomes-new-jcvi-advice-which-includes-unpaid-carers-in-the-vaccination-priority-list[/quote]
Thanks Avon!

I wonder if he would be classed as disabled. He cannot work indefinitely. Late stage heart failure and bad COPD. I do his meds, cleaning, take him to appointments etc.

Poor bugger is only 54

My BMI is over 40, around 44 I think, my doctors don't know how much I weigh though but it's obvious that I'm obese if they did see me.

I know for myself I simply eat/drink (sugary drinks, I don't like alcohol) too much. I don't have mental health issues but I'll only judge myself, no-one else. I've been eating through boredom recently. I just need a kick up the bum!

Me and my DH (bmi 33) will diet at the same time and he'll loose a stone in 2 weeks while I loose 3 pounds

Whataballbag do you get Carers Allowance ? Frustratingly the definition of a carer is often tied to this. However, the footnote is very clear:
“This also includes those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill. ↩”

@AvonCallingBarksdale

Whataballbag do you get Carers Allowance ? Frustratingly the definition of a carer is often tied to this. However, the footnote is very clear: “This also includes those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill. ↩”

I don't no, but I imagine his welfare would fall at risk if I was ill.

@RosesforMama I had a similar experience at my MOT! The nurse actually double checked my result, she'd been warning me about my imminent death due to obesity, but I actually scored green/low probability because of healthy bloods, healthy diet, reasonable activity levels, no smoking, no drinking. She looked like she was chewing a wasp.

Having been obese for a long time I have literally just overhauled my lifestyle. Cut back on choc, crisps but not gone without. Drinking more fluids each day too. I joined slimming world but even if I hadn't I believe I still would have lost the weight. I was doing lots of walking and swimming to help too., Cooking from scratch too and very minimal takeaways. I had covid before Christmas but I believe if I'd had it and not lost the 7+ stone I wouldn't probably be here still!

Sadly, that's my normal. I'm irritated with slimming world, because I already cook like that, and always have.

The thing that is (slowly) making a difference for me seems to be bread. Apparently if I cut bread out, then (alongside intermittent fasting, healthy cooking, no takeaways, no sugar/biscuits/crisps etc, no sodding nuts) then I can lose a pound a week. Oh, mustn't forget the daily exercise and dog walk.

If I take my eye off the ball, slip up, have a day off.... no weight loss that week.

I’ve dropped my bmi from 62 to 38 in the past year. I’m hoping if I catch COVID the risk that I will be seriously ill will now be lessened.
I do believe anyone with a 40+ bmi is in group 6 op - can you ring the persons GP surgery and ask, it would also mean they won’t fall through the cracks if there current weight/bmi isn’t on the system (which happens a lot I believe)

I think their GP is aware of their high BMI, but they haven't been given the flu jab .

I'm going to ask them to check their BMI, then to phone their GP about both the flu and Covid-19 vaccines if it's >40.

I'm glad this thread has been useful for a few people .

@ProbablyFault

I think their GP is aware of their high BMI, but they haven't been given the flu jab .

I'm going to ask them to check their BMI, then to phone their GP about both the flu and Covid-19 vaccines if it's >40.

I'm glad this thread has been useful for a few people .

Well they won't be in line for the vaccination yet. 40+ BMI is group SIX.

Yes @Arboria, priority group 6, like I said in the thread title .

@whataballbag

With regards to carers being in group 6. I care for ECV father, and was told by go surgery that wouldn't make me a higher priority as only I'm only 28. Guessing I should phone back and put them straight

They are fobbing you off.....on 2nd jan21 .....Public health England amended the PGD ( patient group directive which allows vaccinators to give vaccine without a prescription) to include all carers to be in priority group 6 ...... it’s footnote 3......ask to speak to the practice manager ..... i know my friend was asked to prove her carer status......ie she showed them her partners shielding letter ( with her partners consent ) ..... definitely phone them back

@Kitkat151 I'm going to send an email over now - I think best to have in writing in case they attempt to fob off again

I have two very overweight family members and they are petrified of catching covid. one is in the super obese and has lots of conditions that qualify for group 6, but I am worried the younger one will eat to get into group 6. Their reason for being overweight are complex and tragic. Needs a mental health approach as well as their diet but that is non existent. Neither have left the house since March and only see them on zoom.

Shame there's no vaccine to protect against being a judgmental dickhead.

I agree. I'm obese myself and wouldn't expect to be prioritised over anyone else. It isn't down to us, we'll just be going in for the vaccine when we're called in. It isn't down to us. (My weight isn't on record and my BMI isn't that high, so it won't affect me anyway.

However, I can see a very good argument for obese people being prioritised for the vaccine. If they're at extra risk of needing hospital treatment, then it makes sense to prioritise them to take some of the pressure off the NHS.

@Mancity100

Dont wanna sound harsh but best way to beat covid for them would be lose weight

Wow, thanks for that, I’m sure they’ve never thought about that. Genius.

OP it’s a BMI of over 40.

@Rowenasemolina

That’s because people who have not been long term very obese don’t feel able to judge those that are, in case there is some genuine psychological block , delusion or compulsion that they don’t understand.

Those of us who have been long term morbidly obese know perfectly well that there is nothing to losing the weight except self discipline.

That’s it. That’s All it needs.

So having been in that situation myself, yes I can judge. I can judge myself for all those years, using no self discipline at all. And I can judge anyone else who, in a worldwide health emergency, still can’t be bothered to help themselves and the whole of society by doing the one thing within their power to increase their chances of surviving and recovering if they get ill

I judge them, and make no apology for that

I’d be careful on that high horse if I were you. You do know that more than 90% of obese people who lose weight don’t keep it off? You might be back being one of those you clearly hate before too long.!

No I won’t. MadamBlobby. I can promise you that