Obesity is linked to more severe illness from COVID-19; FL faces weight problems - Florida Phoenix
Health officials say obesity is among many health conditions that can cause severe illness from COVID-19 including death or hospitalization, with Florida facing a detrimental trend of obese and overweight residents.
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to experience negative outcomes when they contract COVID, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some key facts the CDC mentions about the link between obesity and COVID include tripling the risk of hospitalization, increasing the risk of death, and weakening the immune system.
In Florida, obesity remains a problem, as people struggle to maintain a healthy weight.
According to the Florida Department of Health, unhealthy weight is "the number one public health threat to Florida's future," with only 36 percent of residents currently considered at a healthy weight.
"On our current trend, by 2030, almost 60% will be obese," the state health department said on its website.
Childhood obesity is another issue in the state. And according to the state health department, "six out of ten children born today will be obese by the time they graduate high school."
In response to the obesity crisis, the state health department launched the "Healthiest Weight Florida" campaign in early 2013 to promote healthy living and an active lifestyle.
"Over the next 20 years in Florida, obesity is expected to contribute to millions of cases of preventable chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, costing an estimated $34 billion," the state health department said on its website.
The CDC also lists other medical conditions that make people more likely to suffer from extreme illness from COVID-19, such as diabetes, cancer, HIV and pregnancy.
With COVID-19 vaccines becoming accessible to more people across the nation, those from high-risk groups have been prioritized for the shots.
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