Since the onset of COVID, we’ve all heard the patients with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable to the virus.  It’s easy easy to assume that this statement only qualifies for individuals with an autoimmune deficiency.  In reality, “the vulnerable” also includes obese patients.

Did you know that your weight can negatively affect your immunity just as it does your blood pressure, cholesterol and risk of heart disease?  The link between obesity and impaired immune function is gaining attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Researchers are scrambling to determine why some COVID patients tolerate the virus better than others.  They are noticing that a patient’s weight may contribute to negative COVID outcomes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, being obese may increase the risk of severe illness associated with COVID-19.  The risk of being hospitalized may be tripled for obese patients.  Obesity alone decreases lung capacity and lung reserves making ventilation more difficult.  These weight-related respiratory obstacles can be compounded by a serious respiratory virus such as COVID-19 leading to a longer, more difficult recover period for obese patients.

COVID remains a huge part of our daily lives, and it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon.  So, now is the time to assess your weight and overall health.  A medically guided weight loss plan featuring appetite suppressants, vitamin supplements and exercise may be the support you need to achieve your weight loss goals.  If your body mass index (BMI) is greater than 40, weight loss surgery might be an option for you.  Having a BMI closer to 35 paired with weight-related health issues can also make you a candidate for weight loss surgery.

Either way, my team and I at Heartland Weight Loss Clinic are ready to evaluate your health, review the obstacles that have prevented you from losing weight in the past and help you overcome those hurdles.  Improving your health should always be a priority especially during the COVID pandemic.

Dr. Legrand, Owner & Surgeon
Heartland Weight Loss Clinic

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