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2023/05/12
Obesity and COVID-19 Mortality: Significant Association Found Across 142 Countries
A new study has uncovered a substantial connection between COVID-19 mortality and obesity in 142 countries globally. The study aimed to investigate the potential link between COVID-19 mortality and obesity, and its findings revealed that an increase in the percentage of obese individuals in the adult population added an additional 1.5% points to COVID-19 mortality in high-income countries.
This study was conducted as a response to the lack of cross-country research investigating the association between obesity and COVID-19 mortality. The research results were not affected by a country's income level, median age, proportion of females, or proportion of the elderly. This suggests that the link between obesity and COVID-19 mortality is significant and not confined to specific demographic groups.
The estimated elasticity of COVID-19 mortality with respect to the proportion of obese in adult populations was the highest for the high-income group of countries. Although the confidence intervals around the point estimates of these elasticities range between 0.7 and 2.1, the study's findings show a clear trend of increased COVID-19 mortality rates with higher rates of obesity in the adult population.
The study's conclusions underline the significance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and managing obesity as a means of decreasing the risks associated with COVID-19. Obesity is a well-known risk factor for several chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Still, this study indicates that it is also a significant risk factor for COVID-19 mortality. Its findings could also serve as a call to action for policymakers to address the growing issue of obesity worldwide.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-33093-3