‘Healthy’ but overweight?

[bumbleymummy]

Ok, I know this is a sensitive subject and I’m really not trying to upset or offend anyone. I just think it’s misleading when people say things like ‘ICU is filled with healthy under 60s’ or talk about a ‘healthy 40- something’ passing away and it turns out that person/a high proportion of those patients are very overweight. Are people who are clearly overweight actually ‘healthy’? I know it’s not the same as an underlying condition like diabetes or heart disease but we know that a high bmi puts people at greater risk of complications from coronavirus.

Before someone jumps on me, I’m not saying that someone’s life is of less value because they are overweight or have an underlying health condition. I’m just wondering if it’s accurate to say that they are ‘healthy’ when we are reporting figures and talking about risk.

The BBC is very pointedly broadcasting the horrors of Covid wards as a cautionary tale. When reporting about " healthy" young people dying of Covid, the elephant in the room of a high BMI, should in my view also be mentioned in the report.

If BMI is a very significant factor in Covid fatalities, we need to have that pushed at us just as much as the other factors, particularly as it is possible to do something about BMI.

I think some of the media now talks about body positive which normalises overweight or obese and yes most people who have died are overweight or obese it is the elephant in the room and also yes to overweight/obese being normal which it should not be due to health

Health is a difficult one. DH is. a nomal weight but only really because he only eats at night most days . He does no exercise. He won't eat fruit or vegetables. His diet is atrocious generally. He has a health condition which he does not manage well. He forgets to take medication etc.

My weight over the years has gone from normal to morbidly obese and back several times. It is a big problem for me. I know that. Sometimes I have the strength to tackle it and lose weight but at other times I go on self destruct due to stress and psychological issues.
At all times I still exercise as much as I am able. I also try and eat a balanced diet but in bad times yes I obviously eat too much.
However I would say that when I was at the bottom end of obese I was definitely much healthier than normal weight dh.

It's so insensitive. I'm sure someone who lost a loved one would have seen them as fit and healthy, seeing as bmi is actually widely discredited.

It is possible to be fit and healthy and have a medical condition that increases. Many people with asthmas and diabetes run marathons.

I don’t think people on this thread are trying to blame. They are pointing out that it is misleading to describe somebody as healthy when they have a medical condition that increases risk.

As has been pointed out, it is inaccurate to pretend that everyone who is at a higher risk is either very elderly or very ill.

It is possible to be fit and healthy and have a medical condition that increases risk.

Body positive to me is about being proud of what my body can do. It is not about how I look.
When I feel body positive, have lower stress levels and feel happy I find it easier to make good food choices and push myself to get out and exercise
I make bad choices when I a down and have low self esteem so for me body positive is a good thing
Although the most positive decision I have now made is not to click on any more of these numerous weight/COVID threads at the minute.

@PurpleDaisies

It’s an important discussion *@whenthestarsgoblue*

BMI has not been widely discredited. There are some specific cases where it isn’t helpful (muscly athletes etc) but for thd vast majority of the population, it tells you if you are a healthy weight or not.

It's not something that needs to be discussed in the midst of such tragedy. I'm all for insensitive to live a healthy lifestyle - I wouldn't start a thread to discuss how fat people are so unhealthy they're all dying, in the middle of a pandemic. Thousands are grieving, and it's not necessary. It's down to each individual to manage their health. Not mums net, who love a goady fat shaming post.

@RufustheSniggeringReindeer

Oh and i saw a consultant recently and in the letter to my dr he said

Rufus is slightly overweight

😳

Bmi of 28...thats not slightly!

What is it if it's not "slightly"?!

It's not something that needs to be discussed in the midst of such tragedy.

It absolutely is when people are at higher risk of dying because of their weight. Wouldn’t you want your relative to do something about it so they were at a lower risk of dying? When is the right time?

This isn’t a fat shaming post. It’s a serious health risk at the moment.

I wouldn't start a thread to discuss how fat people are so unhealthy they're all dying, in the middle of a pandemic

The thread is not about living a healthy life style, it is about recognition of conditions that increase risk of death from COVID. Obesity is only one of the conditions that increases risk.

Do we know yet why being overweight is a factor in COVID? Because until we do, no amount of "can you be overweight and (otherwise) healthy" is useful in the context of avoiding serious COVID. If it's just the fact of extra weight pushing down on your lungs, it won't make any difference if that weight comes from muscle, or if your blood pressure and cholesterol are good. (Though obviously it's still good to have low blood pressure and cholesterol!)

It would need more careful reporting rather than either sensationalist FATTIES WILL DIE or SADFACE TRAGEDY, which the media might not be capable of at the moment. But it should be possible to manage 'this tragic death blah blah no underlying conditions but they were overweight which correlates to poor outcomes with COVID although we are not entirely sure why/how yet'.

Agree morred.

It's not something that needs to be discussed in the midst of such tragedy. I'm all for insensitive to live a healthy lifestyle - I wouldn't start a thread to discuss how fat people are so unhealthy they're all dying, in the middle of a pandemic.

I totally disagree. It's at times like this that the tragedy of what is happening around us makes people reflect on their lives. For some people, this pandemic will be the wake up call they need to finally commit to some life changes, whether that is in their working lives, their relationships, or their personal health and fitness. This pussy-footing around and avoiding the truth for fear of upsetting people is at the heart of the problem!

[quote CorianderBee]@RosesAndLemonade yes but imagine the backlash from presuming someone's weight/BMI, assigning them a label with no stats and saying that's why they died. Legal issue waiting to happen. Or let the public use their eyes and see they are overweight, everyone knows and nobody gets sued. [/quote]
Yes that's what I'm saying. No one needs to actually say anything. It's pretty obvious by looking.

but figure there are no vital organs in my arse, thighs and shotputter arms so am not massively worried.

Quite! I am unable to lose any weight off my huge thighs because they're all muscle. It's not only athletes who are muscular, we all have different builds. Again, I totally agree that the dangers of obesity need to be discussed but there are plenty of people out there who sit in the middle of the overweight category who are as healthy as they can be! I have always had a big bum, boobs and thighs but my waist was well within healthy (unfortunately diastatis and tonnes of excess skin from dreadful c section has affected that ☹️)

Do we know yet why being overweight is a factor in COVID?

We do. Covid pneumonia is the main complication of the virus. Many people don't develop pneumonia and battle through the novel virus with little complication. But if you are overweight/obese and you DO develop covid pneumonia, your increased levels of leptin (overweight people produce more) impairs the body's ability to clear the virus before pneumonia develops, leaving you much more likely to go along the covid pneumonia route than a slim person. And lung function is undeniably impaired if you're obese.

I'm quite frustrated by the "young healthy adult dies of Covid" stories published, quite a few recently just one yesterday clearly stating "healthy" in the title in the one I saw yesterday, then you see a photo and they are clearly obese. Not that it makes the death any less tragic, but when will society acknowledge obesity is a health concern, it is an illness. People seem to think the risks of obesity show when you are older, this may be the case for a lot of people, but as Covid has shown obesity makes you more vulnerable than a healthy weight adult.

Some good links here if anyone wants to explore this topic in more detail:
covid.joinzoe.com/us-post/covid-obesity

I guess it depends what metrics you're using to define "healthy". I have a friend who is over weight but eats a good diet, regularly runs marathons, has no active or underlying health conditions, has normal blood pressure etc etc. I can't think of anything which would make her unhealthy by most normal definitions, despite her weight. She's by no means the only person I've known like this. I've personally always had a low BMI but I used to smoke like a chimney for years. Despite this I was still healthy enough to climb mountains, go to the gym every day, I never developed any smoking related health conditions etc. Doing or not doing something that increase your risk of developing a health condition is not the same as actually being unhealthy, and this is true for everybody no matter their size. Does being overweight increase your risk of developing a health condition? Yes. But so does smoking, drinking, dietary choices, not sleeping enough, being stressed, even things like whether we become pregnant and at what age, whether we breast feed and for how long etc. So no, I don't agree that being overweight makes someone unhealthy, even if it increases the risk of becoming unhealthy in the future.

Sorry, trying to write while someone is taping up a shipping box next to me, so my concentration is a bit compromised here!

Let me rephrase: But if you are overweight/obese and you DO develop covid pneumonia your increased levels of leptin (overweight people produce more) impairs the body's ability to clear the virus before pneumonia develops, leaving you much more likely to go along the covid pneumonia route than a slim person. And lung function is undeniably impaired if you're obese.

Does being overweight increase your risk of developing a health condition?

This thread is specifically about COVID.

If a journalist wouldn’t describe a marathon running diabetic as ‘healthy’, but would instead mention underlying health conditions, they should at the very least not refer to health when it is clear that weight could have been a contributing factor.

@PolarnOPirate

I agree overall but I disagree with the people reducing losing weight down to eating less, and how easy it is, with this undertone that everyone overweight has themselves to blame and needs to take some responsibility for themselves. I have tried everything to lose weight, except surgery, which I doubt I am fat enough for (size 16) and don't want to do anyway. I have THOUGHT I was fat since I was in nursery, as it was always pointed out to me that I was the chubby daughter/grandchild, built for rugby not ballet etc. As it stands now, I am seeing a dietician who agrees my diet is wonderful, have been to GP many times but there is nothing wrong with me (in fact I'm healthy aside from my weight), don't do fads, eat sensibly, do 16:8, exercise all the time, still fucking massive. Sorry but I don't know what more I can try!

I'm in much the same position.

I got very ill after having glandular fever & a virus that attacked my liver. I was a normal weight (just on 8st) but it all screwed up my system and I ended up diabetic. I THEN put weight on and despite eating incredibly low carb I cannot lose it. I'm now obese, but despite YEARS of eating VLC & various fasting things etc. I simply can't lose any weight.

I'm pleased for people who 'cut out' their late night hot chocolate or 'stop snacking' do a few weeks fasting or start walking instead of taking the car and the weight just falls off them, but I already do those things and I am, where I am.

I KNOW my Covid risk is high - 52, obese, diabetic. But I do wish people would realise that as much as losing weight might have been simple or even just possible with some effort - for some of us, it's just NOT.

I do have some sympathy though as before I got sick I too was a smug twat who thought fat people just needed to eat less & exercise more. I happily give my previous self a good slap!

I'm terrified of getting Covid, to the point where I'm not sleeping again & that doesn't help things. But just to let the critics know, I'm sufficiently terrified...

Thanks @TheVanguardSix that's really interesting.

(I am obsese but losing weight - not just due to COVID.)

I think this just comes from different uses of the word “healthy” between doctors and the public. In the hospital, we use “healthy” to mean anyone independent and / or working full time and able to walk > around 500m.

In normal times, the majority of our patients are extremely frail and generally have carers / are in care homes.