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When it comes to the coronavirus death tolls, to say nothing of the hospitalization rates, the problem is not just old age. Among the preexisting conditions and the comorbidities we find-- obesity.
People who are obese are more likely to become sicker from the virus. They are more likely to die from the virus. But, why then, Brad Polumbo asks in an excellent article, is our media actively promoting obesity? The correct term is now “body positivity.” A seriously misguided war against fat shaming has managed to produce more obesity and thus more illness.
Polumbo opens thusly:
The United States has the 13th highest COVID-19 death rate relative to population. Many different factors shaped death rates in the pandemic. But there’s one uncomfortable reason that the U.S. likely experienced more COVID-19 deaths that has largely been ignored because it’s politically incorrect.
Out-of-control obesity rates and the “body positivity” movement predating the pandemic have left the U.S. population disproportionately vulnerable to COVID-19 compared to other countries. The U.S. ranks No. 12 in obesity worldwide, one of the highest rates among developed countries. One study found that 90% of worldwide COVID-19 deaths occurred in countries with high obesity rates.
High obesity means higher death rates. As it happens, obesity also weakens the immune system:
COVID-19 is much more deadly for the elderly and those with preexisting conditions that weaken the immune system. One of those conditions is obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Adults with excess weight are at even greater risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The CDC said that of the roughly 900,000 adult COVID-19 hospitalizations from the start of the outbreak to Nov. 18, 30% were attributed to obesity.
But, our woke culture has declared war on shame. No one is allowed to fail any more. No one can be called out for bad habits. And this is so even if some bad habits, like obesity, are markedly unhealthy.
In woke culture, it’s considered too politically incorrect to point out that being fat is unhealthy, even as a pandemic is raging across the country and tragically claiming the lives of overweight people.
Where do young people find this message? For one they find it in the pages of a magazine called Teen Vogue:
“Fat is not a bad word,” blared Teen Vogue. “Fat is not an indication of value, health, beauty, or performance.” (Emphasis mine.) A cancer charity was lambasted for “fat shaming” when it started an awareness campaign about the link between obesity and cancer.
Amazingly, Polumbo continues, the body positivity movement causes people to underestimate their weight problem:
These are just a few examples of a much broader trend, one that has had real consequences. A 2018 study found that the body positivity movement has led people to underestimate their own weight problems, which leads to fewer people losing weight.
4 comments:
"In woke culture, it’s considered too politically incorrect to point out that being fat is unhealthy, even as a pandemic is raging across the country and tragically claiming the lives of overweight people." Sooooooo, the "woke" are NOT "woke". I am soooo not bummed for them. My bad. Their dumb.
^^^^ "Their dumb."
I don't doubt the theory that obesity leads to more covid complications to include death. What I am finding fault with is what is not said. Most obese people have underlying health problems some of which are the cause of their obesity. In those cases it is likely that underlying health conditions are the problem and not the obesity. It would make more sense and provide more facts to deal with the real problem rather than simply lump it all under obesity
In those cases it is likely that underlying health conditions are the problem and not the obesity.
Why is that "likely"? I grant you "possible".
The "underlying health condition" may be one of several things. Some of them might ("possibly" not "likely") directly affect the immune system, but it seems equally reasonable that a symptom cascade takes place: Something that does not directly affect the immune system causes weight gain, which affects the immune system.
And does it really matter? If losing the weight fixes the immune system - and losing the weight requires fixing the underlying problem - then Bob's your uncle. It matters to any given individual since it changes the approach to weight loss, but in the aggregate it makes no difference.
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