In fact, according to the numbers, those with a Body Mass Index of more than 30 saw an increased risk of developing severe symptoms of the virus, to the point of hospitalization, by almost 113 percent.
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The assessment was conducted by researchers out of the University of North Carolina who concluded that, of those who would be hospitalized, the risk of death among these obese patients increased by a staggering 48 percent.
This is due to the fact that obesity can cause a number of underlying health conditions that can exacerbate the symptoms of COVID-19. Including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson even admitted that he felt his own weight was part of the reason his own condition when he contracted the virus was so severe that he needed to be hospitalized. Given the recent findings, it would be fair to assume this conclusion to be true.
The UK government stared an anti-obesity drive aimed at the public in order to motivate people to lose weight during the pandemic. The UK's Minister of Health even stated that if overweight adults in the UK could lose just 5lbs, it could save the NHS more than £100 million.
