Covid death rate 10 times higher in overweight adults, says report

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Mar 08, 2021:      A World Obesity Federation report has stated that the coronavirus death rate is higher in the countries where most of the population is overweight. According to the researchers, the death rate due to the coronavirus was 10 times higher in overweight adults.

 

They also found that by the end of 2020, the global death rate due to the coronavirus was more than 10 times higher in countries where more than half the adults are overweight. They say overweight can also worsen health issues and viral infections.

The team had examined the mortality data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The researchers found that of 2.5 million coronavirus deaths recorded by the end of February, 2.2 million were recorded in countries where half the population is overweight.

After analysing data from 160 countries, the researchers said the mortality rate increased where more than half the population was obese. The countries where less than 40 per cent of the population was overweight, those countries had a low death rate due to coronavirus.

Among those countries are Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. With 0.04 deaths per 100,000 people, Vietnam has the lowest Covid-19 death rate. The US has the highest Covid-19 death rate with 152.49 deaths per 100,000 people.

"Old age is unavoidable, but the conditions that contribute to overweight and obesity can be highly avoidable if governments step up and we all join forces to reduce the impact of this disease," Johanna Ralston, CEO of the World Obesity Federation, said in a statement.

The report’s author, Dr Tim Lobstein said, "Governments have been negligent, and ignored the economic value of a healthy population at their peril. For the last decade, they have failed to tackle obesity, despite setting themselves targets at United Nations meetings."

Courtesy:India Today