BMI 30 or over and vaccine

[Realitea]

I read on BBC News today that those with a BMI of 30 or over should be - or are - in the next priority group. Does anyone know if they are? I didn't realise I was at much greater risk having a BMI of 30. I thought it was 40!

I’ve not read this anywhere

This is all I have seen, that those with BMI over 30 are encouraged to take up the vaccine promptly when offered
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55045639

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55045639

It says those with a BMI in the under 50s, amongst other criteria, should take the vaccine as soon as it is offered but no indication that you will be vaccinated before your priority group because of a 30+ BMI. Which is not quite the same thing.

Sorry I just posted the same! I still didn't realise having a bmi of 30 was that serious in relation to covid

My GP has no idea what my BMI is! Last time I stood on scale infront of one was when I was a healthy weight. BMI is now 32.

I wonder if they're getting lots of calls from people updating them on their weight!

BMI over 30 isn’t a priority group, it’s just saying those with a BMI over 30 should take up the vaccine offer quickly when it’s their turn. So a 60 year old with a BMI 30 should take up the offer quickly

I don't think it is that serious it just sounds like encouragement for any 30-40 BMI folk who were thinking of not taking vaccine to rethink and take the vaccine.

It has been widely informed that the higher your BMI the more likely risk of complications with Covid but this is balanced against age and that is still more prevalent with risk.

I guess if you are heavier and not had bloods recently you could be pre-diabetic and not know. So if you are concerned about anyone with BMI 30+ encourage them to get their bloods done.

Good idea.
I just had a full MOT, about 6 blood tests taken and luckily nothing bad going on there, just need to get my BMI down now and I'll feel much better/less worried

It does not say that people with a BMI over 30 are in or should be in the next priority group. I am not sure what you are reading but the article that you linked to doesn't say it?

It does say that when you are offered the vaccine, if you are one of the following groups,
men
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities
people with a BMI over 30
those living in deprived neighbourhoods
You should respond and and take up the invitation promptly.

There is nothing at all in there to say that BMI over 30 but below 40 will be in anything other than age group.

Of course having a bmi over 30 puts you at greater risk, just not as high risk as bmi over 40. It is a sliding scale.

This government webpage about the vaccination programme mentions the at risk category as a BMI of 30 or above : www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-groups-for-phase-2-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-programme-advice-from-the-jcvi/jcvi-interim-statement-on-phase-2-of-the-covid-19-vaccination-programme

I’d also only heard it as BMI of 40 or above before this.

My BMI has rocketed to 32 during lockdown and I’m pretty mortified that I might be vaccinated prior to others due to this. It’s shameful really.

I've reduced my BMI from 30 to 24 this year, I'm desperate for the vaccine but I'm 30 so low priority

Interesting that people seem to only be worried about there BMI causing severe covid19 and not all the other things it could cause

A BMI of 30 is obese, of course the risk is higher than someone of a healthy weight. The risk is still not high however.

Should slim, white, wealthy women hang back? It is just saying that these groups should accept the offer promptly when it comes but, hopefully, most people will do that anyway. So a deprived, obese man from an ethnic minority in his 20s is still going to have a long wait.

But maybe people will be pushing harder to persuade him to accept the offer.

A BMI of 30+ is obese, a BMI of over 40+ is morbidly obese. The higher the greater the risk as general strain on your body and organs. My BMI was just over 30 and have been dieting the last two months. I'm down to 28 and intend to keep going to get back in a healthy weight. Just not worth the risk even if low.

My bmi is over 30 and I am married to a slim man close in age to me. The risk calculator puts him at higher risk than me presumably because he is male. We are both healthy and the same ethnic group. Yes a bmi ups you risk but there are other factors too.

Vitamin D and take the vaccine when it comes. (I am also trying to lose weight but lockdown isn’t helping)

Well it your risk would be higher OP but overall it’s still a tiny chance you’d become seriously unwell. If you read the longer link above you can see the government also advising anyone male any one not white to to muck about - so these are very broad groups.

Can this thread please not turn into yet another unpleasant obese-bashing thread with unkind posters expressing faux-confusion about why overweight people don’t simply just lose weight etc. Or outright hate towards people for being more at risk and therefore being a priority group for the vaccine. I think we have had enough of those

This is a serious wake up call for people who are obese

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/03/covid-deaths-high-in-countries-with-more-overweight-people-says-report

@DarceyDashwood I agree! I wanted to say what you said but didn’t have the balls. Thank you

I saw this and was confused. At age 48 I've been on very strict fitness and diet regime and got my bmi down this week to 29. I was thinking ffs,bloody typical. It had stuck at 31 for 12 weeks despite my best efforts. But yes when I re read it, it means once we're called to not hang about.
I can't wait to get vaccine. Can you tell