Mixed
Obesity contributes to metabolic derangements, poorer lung and kidney function, vascular health issues, low-grade inflammation, and thrombotic potential, which collectively reduce the body's capacity to cope with the systemic effects of the hyperimmune response in COVID-19.
Obesity affects multiple body systems, making it harder to fight off severe infections like COVID-19. Managing weight can help improve these underlying health issues, potentially reducing the risk of severe illness. Focus on sustainable lifestyle changes to improve overall health.
Obesity contributes to metabolic derangements, worse lung and kidney function, poorer vascular health, and is associated with a low-grade inflammation and a greater thrombotic potential. In this way, obesity lessens an individual’s capacity to cope with the systemic effects of the hyperimmune response.
Why this rating
The mechanisms are well-established in general obesity research and are plausibly linked to COVID-19 severity, though direct causal proof for each specific mechanism in the context of COVID-19 is still evolving.
Source
Obesity as a Risk Factor for Severe COVID-19: Summary of the Best Evidence and Implications for Health Care
Naveed Sattar et al. · Current Obesity Reports · 2021
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