To Your Health
April, 2020 (Vol. 14, Issue 04) |
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The Overlooked Risk Factor for Coronavirus Complications
By Editorial Staff
For several months, the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and others have talked about some of the risk factors that could predispose someone infected with COVID-19 to experience complications.
Age has been, and continues to be, the #1 risk factor, if nothing else than because with age, one's immune system naturally declines.
But then there's the #2 risk factor, and it's significant not only because of its ranking, but for two other reasons: one that should give us pause, and the other that should give us hope. That #2 risk factor for COVID-19 complications is obesity.
That revelation should give us pause because, simply put, we are a nation of overeaters, underexercisers, and excess baggage. According to the CDC, more than four in 10 U.S. adults are obese, and that statistic is on the rise. Add in the overweight population (any of whom could eventually migrate to obese) and we're talking about the majority of the adult population who could be at risk from a COVID-19 complication.
Here's the hope: In almost all cases, weight is manageable with lifestyle changes. That means right now, you could be reducing or altogether eliminating the #2 risk factor for coronavirus complications by changing your diet and exercise habits, not to mention reducing stress, getting better sleep and minimizing medication use (some of which promote weight gain).
It's been said that obesity is a killer, and it is. With our COVID-1 reality, that phrase takes on even more significance. Fortunately, losing weight is like quitting smoking: Almost the second you do it, your health profile improves. If you're struggling with your weight, ask your doctor for help outlining a program that will drop the pounds, reduce disease risk – and improve your odds of surviving a coronavirus infection.
