People with obesity more likely to have diseases that are risk factors for severe COVID-19, say doctors

Obesity, a condition wherein someone has excessive body fat, may lead to numerous health problems such as heart diseases and diabetes.

According to Sandra Aguinaldo’s report on “24 Oras” Friday, these are the same risks faced by those who contract the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Kasama po ’to sa risk ng mga nagkakaroon ng COVID. ’Yung may heart problem, ’yung may lung problem, ’yung may diabetes at saka obesity or ’yung sobrang pagkataba,” said Dr. Jeremy Robles, president of Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health said people with obesity were more likely to have other diseases that are “independent risk factors for severe COVID-19” than people with normal weight.

These include heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, in which “blood sugar level, fat levels, or both are unhealthy and blood pressure may be high.”

According to a study from Tulane University in the US, which had 287 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, metabolic syndrome itself “substantially increased risks of ICU admission, ventilation, and death.”

In 2018, the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute shared that 37.2% of adult Filipinos were obese or overweight.

“’Pag obese, naapektuhan ang immune response sanhi ng labis na inflammation at pamamaga. Lalo na kung COVID-19, nagkakaroon tayo ng inflammatory response. Kaya ’yung mga obese po mayroon na silang risk tapos dadagdagan pa natin ng impeksyon, lalong lalala ’yung inflammation,” Robles shared.

“Tandaan po natin kasi pag medyo lumaki tayo, lumaki ’yung tiyan natin, napu-push up po ’yung lungs natin. That also restricts our breathing. ’Pag nahawa kayo ng COVID, lalo kayong mahihirapang huminga,” he added.

To know if you are overweight or obese, check your weight and body mass index, Dr. Robles advised.

“Pwede naman po nila i-measure ’yung timbang nila. Most of the time you will identify patients that are overweight kasi sobrang laki nung tiyan nila na hindi na sila proportioned doon sa height nila,” he explained. – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News