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Obesity is a major risk factor for COVID hospitalization and death[1]. A few highlights from the CDC[2]: * Having obesity may triple the risk of hospitalizatio

Obesity is a major risk factor for COVID hospitalization and death[1]. A few highlights from the CDC[2]: * Having obesity may triple the risk of hospitalization due to a COVID-19 infection. * Obesity decreases lung capacity and reserve and can make ventilation more difficult. * More than 900,000 adult COVID-19 hospitalizations occurred in the United States between the beginning of the pandemic and November 18, 2020. Models estimate that 271,800 (30.2%) of these hospitalizations were attributed to obesity. [1] https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.14523 https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.145... [2] https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/obesity-and-covid-19.html#:~:text=%E2%80%A2%20Having%20obesity%20increases%20the,to%20impaired%20immune%20function https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/obesity-and-covid-19.html#:....

mfer 5y ago
> “A huge proportion of your immune system is actually in your GI tract,” says Dan Peterson, assistant professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. [1] The old saying, you are what you eat is true. A diet that leads to obesity often leads to a weaker immune system. In the last 10-15 years there's been a bunch of research on how GI health relates to our immune system. [1] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/research/advancements-in-research/fundamentals/in-depth/the-gut-where-bacteria-and-immune-system-meet https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/research/advancements-in-res...
elil17 5y ago
It’s not clear that increasing physical activity will actually reduce obesity. The good news is that exercising will improve your health outcomes regardless of your weight (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097400 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097400).
- soared 5y ago
  How would increasing physical activity not reduce obesity? If I’m understanding that link correctly it is saying “fitness” and weight are two different measures so obese people can be fit. I doubt many Americans fall into this category.
  - MattGaiser 5y ago
    Exercise burns far fewer calories than I thought (I was surprised by this too). If you walk a mile, you only burn 100 or so calories and that assumes you are walking briskly. That isn't enough to really change things for many people.
    - gmassman 5y ago
      Calories burned is just the start of the benefits of exercise. It also promotes muscle development which will cause fewer aches and pains as one ages. It increases lung capacity through deeper breathing, which promotes the parasympathetic nervous system and helps keep one more relaxed throughout the day. It strengthens the heart, leading to lower blood pressure and a lower resting heart rate. Health and weight are much more complicated than simply calories in minus calories out.
    - sasawpg 5y ago
      Not all cardio is built the same and walking/running (for many) is not the most efficient way to burn calories. Most "calories burned" are also an estimate, often based on heart-rate and other body parameters. I burn anywhere from 500-800+ calories per hour when cycling (depending on intensity, based on actual recorded power). I'm fairly light (63-64kgs) so my power (and as a result energy expenditure) will be less than that of someone larger. An endurance run for me will burn much closer to an estimated 300kCal/hr. While I'm no longer a runner, even at peak I would run only 4-5hrs/week (and usually no more than 1:30-1:45hrs/run). I readily cycle 4-5 hours though and burn 3000kCal+. So if goal is to burn as many calories as possible, I would consider cycling and swimming, since both burn a considerable amount and can be done for longer stretches of time without major body impact. The unfortunate drawback of cycling is the lack of impact that makes it easy to cycle for long amounts. Have to balance that with other forms of exercise to stay healthy.
      - notacoward 5y ago
        > An endurance run for me will burn much closer to an estimated 300kCal/hr. Measured how? At what most people would consider a normal running pace the expenditure for your weight should be at least 800kCal/hr according to every source I've seen. On the flip side, 3000kCal over "4-5 hours" is 600-750kCal/hr. I know cyclists tend to underestimate the efficiency gain of wheels vs. legs and thus mistranslate their higher speed to higher effort, but reality is quite different.
- mbesto 5y ago
  > It’s not clear that increasing physical activity will actually reduce obesity. But it's clear caloric deficit does. Physical activity can create a caloric deficit, but so can your diet. Just like revenues and costs, these numbers can't be taken in isolation.
  - elil17 5y ago
    None of which matters unless you can convince people to run a calorie deficit. Despite years of public health messaging, the obesity rate continues to rise. However, you can convince people to exercise, which can mitigate many of the negative effects of obesity. Why not push exercise while research is done about how to run effective public health campaigns to reduce obesity?

mfer 5y ago

> “A huge proportion of your immune system is actually in your GI tract,” says Dan Peterson, assistant professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. [1] The old saying, you are what you eat is true. A diet that leads to obesity often leads to a weaker immune system. In the last 10-15 years there's been a bunch of research on how GI health relates to our immune system. [1] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/research/advancements-in-research/fundamentals/in-depth/the-gut-where-bacteria-and-immune-system-meet https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/research/advancements-in-res...

elil17 5y ago

It’s not clear that increasing physical activity will actually reduce obesity. The good news is that exercising will improve your health outcomes regardless of your weight (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097400 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097400).

soared 5y ago
How would increasing physical activity not reduce obesity? If I’m understanding that link correctly it is saying “fitness” and weight are two different measures so obese people can be fit. I doubt many Americans fall into this category.
- MattGaiser 5y ago
  Exercise burns far fewer calories than I thought (I was surprised by this too). If you walk a mile, you only burn 100 or so calories and that assumes you are walking briskly. That isn't enough to really change things for many people.
  - gmassman 5y ago
    Calories burned is just the start of the benefits of exercise. It also promotes muscle development which will cause fewer aches and pains as one ages. It increases lung capacity through deeper breathing, which promotes the parasympathetic nervous system and helps keep one more relaxed throughout the day. It strengthens the heart, leading to lower blood pressure and a lower resting heart rate. Health and weight are much more complicated than simply calories in minus calories out.
  - sasawpg 5y ago
    Not all cardio is built the same and walking/running (for many) is not the most efficient way to burn calories. Most "calories burned" are also an estimate, often based on heart-rate and other body parameters. I burn anywhere from 500-800+ calories per hour when cycling (depending on intensity, based on actual recorded power). I'm fairly light (63-64kgs) so my power (and as a result energy expenditure) will be less than that of someone larger. An endurance run for me will burn much closer to an estimated 300kCal/hr. While I'm no longer a runner, even at peak I would run only 4-5hrs/week (and usually no more than 1:30-1:45hrs/run). I readily cycle 4-5 hours though and burn 3000kCal+. So if goal is to burn as many calories as possible, I would consider cycling and swimming, since both burn a considerable amount and can be done for longer stretches of time without major body impact. The unfortunate drawback of cycling is the lack of impact that makes it easy to cycle for long amounts. Have to balance that with other forms of exercise to stay healthy.
    - notacoward 5y ago
      > An endurance run for me will burn much closer to an estimated 300kCal/hr. Measured how? At what most people would consider a normal running pace the expenditure for your weight should be at least 800kCal/hr according to every source I've seen. On the flip side, 3000kCal over "4-5 hours" is 600-750kCal/hr. I know cyclists tend to underestimate the efficiency gain of wheels vs. legs and thus mistranslate their higher speed to higher effort, but reality is quite different.
mbesto 5y ago
> It’s not clear that increasing physical activity will actually reduce obesity. But it's clear caloric deficit does. Physical activity can create a caloric deficit, but so can your diet. Just like revenues and costs, these numbers can't be taken in isolation.
- elil17 5y ago
  None of which matters unless you can convince people to run a calorie deficit. Despite years of public health messaging, the obesity rate continues to rise. However, you can convince people to exercise, which can mitigate many of the negative effects of obesity. Why not push exercise while research is done about how to run effective public health campaigns to reduce obesity?