Mixed
Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with a dose-response increase in the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization, ICU admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death, with the lowest risk observed at BMIs near the healthy weight/overweight threshold (23.7–25.9 kg/m²).
Maintaining a BMI in the healthy weight range (18.5–24.9 kg/m²) is associated with the lowest risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization and death. If you have obesity or are overweight, you are at a higher risk for severe illness, and this risk increases with higher BMI categories. Public health recommendations include prioritizing vaccination, masking, and accessing resources to support a healthy weight through nutrition and physical activity.
Risks for hospitalization, ICU admission, and death were lowest among patients with BMIs of 24.2 kg/m2, 25.9 kg/m2, and 23.7 kg/m2, respectively, and then increased sharply with higher BMIs.
Why this rating
Large sample size (n=148,494), multi-hospital data, adjusted for multiple covariates, though observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Body Mass Index and Risk for COVID-19–Related Hospitalization, Intensive Care Unit Admission, Invasive Mechanical Ventilation, and Death — United States, March–December 2020
Lyudmyla Kompaniyets et al. · MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report · 2021
DOI 10.15585/mmwr.mm7010e4
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
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