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Obesity and COVID-19: what you need to know

Written on April 14, 2023 by Sendra Yang, PharmD, MBA. To give you technically accurate, evidence-based information, content published on the Everlywell blog is reviewed by credentialed professionals with expertise in medical and bioscience fields.

Table of contents

Obesity and COVID-19 are two medical conditions that can significantly affect health. Obesity is a condition characterized by excessive body fat that can increase a person’s risk of developing disorders such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer [1]. Obesity can also have implications for COVID-19 infection by increasing the chances of a more severe illness [2].

COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, is an illness caused by a virus. COVID-19 predominantly spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes [3]. The COVID-19 virus can cause mild to severe fever, cough, fatigue, body aches, and difficulty breathing [4]. Individuals with obesity who contract COVID-19 are at higher risk of experiencing severe illness, including hospitalization and death, than those without obesity [5]. Obesity is a comorbidity of COVID-19, but there are ways to help reduce your chance of obesity and COVID-19 health risks.

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More on obesity

A person with obesity has excessive body fat. Healthcare providers often use body mass index (BMI) to determine if a person’s weight is above what is considered a healthy weight [6]. BMI considers a person’s height and weight to determine if a person is overweight or obese. A BMI below 25 is generally regarded as healthy. Adults with a BMI between 25-29.9 are considered overweight, and a BMI above 30 indicates obesity. According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of obesity is 13% of the world’s adult population [7]. In the United States, obesity affects about half the adult population, making it a common disease [8].

Obesity, COVID-19, and health outcomes

During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals who were overweight or obese were at higher risk of experiencing severe illness, hospitalization, and death than individuals who were not considered obese [9]. Obesity has been identified as one of the major comorbid factors in individuals suffering from COVID-19 [5]. Because obesity increases a person’s morbidity and mortality, high rates of obesity became even more of a public health concern during the COVID-19 pandemic [9, 10].

Why was this the case? People with obesity have an increased risk of conditions like cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, and respiratory diseases with poor pulmonary function [1,11-13]. These health risks are magnified because obese patients have increased cardiovascular stress, lower cardiorespiratory fitness, dysfunctional immune response, and lower diaphragm contractions [14]. Because of these comorbidity factors, obese patients who contracted COVID-19 had a higher mortality risk. Although we now know a lot about COVID-19, these health risks are still being scientifically studied to understand better how COVID-19 impacts the long-term health of patients who contracted the virus.

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Reducing your risk of obesity and COVID-19 health complications

Obesity is a complex disease with many comorbidity factors that can put you at a higher risk of developing COVID-19 complications. There are lifestyle changes that can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of developing obesity. Things you can do to improve your weight and health can include [15]:

  • Eating a balanced and healthy diet: Avoid excessive processed and high-calorie foods and sugary drinks. Overconsumption of these foods over long periods can contribute to significant weight gain. Eating meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help reduce your risk of obesity. These foods are nutrient-dense and can help you feel fuller and prevent overeating.
  • Staying active: Besides eating a healthy diet, adding exercise to your lifestyle routine can be beneficial to keeping weight down. Routine physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of obesity.
  • Reducing stress: Chronic stress can increase the risk of obesity by triggering overeating and causing hormonal changes that promote weight gain. Practice stress-reducing activities such as meditation, mindfulness, exercise, or other things you enjoy. Minimizing stress can help reduce inflammation and lower obesity-related comorbid risk factors.

COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that spreads through respiratory droplets. If you have health risks, here are some easy-to-follow CDC guidelines to help protect yourself and those around you from COVID-19 [16,17]:

  • Get vaccinated: If your healthcare provider recommends you get vaccinated against COVID-19, it is one of the best ways to protect yourself and reduce your risk of developing complications from the virus.
  • Wear a mask: When you are in public places, wearing a mask indoors or in crowded areas can help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
  • Keep your distance: Avoid close contact with people who are sick or may have been exposed to the virus, and keeping at least 6 feet from others in public can reduce COVID-19 transmission.

Summary and next steps

Obesity is a condition characterized by excessive body fat that increases the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Obesity is also a risk factor for severe illness from COVID-19. Lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced and healthy diet, staying active, and minimizing stress can lower the risk of obesity. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, get vaccinated, wear a mask, and keep your distance from others.

If you are concerned about your weight and risks with COVID-19, please speak with your healthcare provider. Everlywell offers access to online weight loss, a telehealth option that lets you consult with a certified clinician remotely.

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References

  1. Health effects of overweight and obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Published September 24, 2022. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  2. Obesity, race/ethnicity, and COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Published September 27, 2022. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  3. How coronavirus spreads. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  4. Symptoms of COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  5. People with certain medical conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  6. About adult BMI. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Published June 3, 2022. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  7. Obesity and overweight. World Health Organization. URL. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  8. Adult obesity facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Published May 17, 2022. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  9. Kalligeros M, Shehadeh F, Mylona EK, et al. Association of obesity with disease severity among patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020;28(7):1200-1204. doi:10.1002/oby.22859. URL.
  10. Prospective Studies Collaboration, Whitlock G, Lewington S, et al. Body-mass index and cause-specific mortality in 900 000 adults: collaborative analyses of 57 prospective studies. Lancet. 2009;373(9669):1083-1096. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60318-4. URL.
  11. Mohammad S, Aziz R, Al Mahri S, et al. Obesity and COVID-19: what makes obese host so vulnerable?. Immun Ageing. 2021;18(1):1. Published 2021 Jan 4. doi:10.1186/s12979-020-00212-x. URL.
  12. Kwok S, Adam S, Ho JH, et al. Obesity: A critical risk factor in the COVID-19 pandemic. Clin Obes. 2020;10(6):e12403. doi:10.1111/cob.12403. URL.
  13. Maccioni L, Weber S, Elgizouli M, et al. Obesity and risk of respiratory tract infections: results of an infection-diary based cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):271. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5172-8. URL.
  14. Sattar N, McInnes IB, McMurray JJV. Obesity is a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection: multiple potential mechanisms. Circulation. 2020;142(1):4-6. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.047659. URL.
  15. Overweight & Obesity: What can be done. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Published September 15, 2022. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  16. Understanding exposure risks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed April 12, 2023.
  17. Overview of COVID-19 vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed April 12, 2023.
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