Does the status of your BMI (body mass index) affect your immunity? Health professionals use the BMI as a measurement of how healthy one is and what category of health risk they are in especially for cardiac complications.
The CDC has suggested that “as BMI increases, the risk of death from COVID19 also increases” which aligns with a May/2020 cohort study. Obese patients may have three times the hospitalization risk, which is similar to having diabetes or hypertension. Additionally, mechanical ventilation may be more difficult and less effective with obese patients’ decreased lung capacity. Additionally, obesity impacts the immune system, especially with T-lymphocyte dysfunction. T Lymphocytes are important to the adaptive immune system, and specifically for killing infected host cells and regulating the immune process. Obesity can sometimes increase chronic inflammation.
Despite all these negative factors, there is hope. Because weight loss removes these risks entirely. So there is a push for weight loss in light of the pandemic. If you know of anyone that could benefit from a meeting with a nutritional therapist, health coach, or a naturopathic doctor, send them our way and drop me an email. We will give them a complimentary session and help them get started on their new health goals.
Obesity & Immunity
