People with a certain BMI are more prone to deadly infections, study reveals

Obesity may be a contributing factor in more than 10% of infection-related deaths, a new study reveals.(iStock)

The association was even seen in obese people who did not have diabetes, heart disease or metabolic syndrome.The amount of physical activity also did not appear to affect the link.

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The study, which was published in The Lancet, looked at prevalence of 925 bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungalinfectious diseases, including flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection and lower respiratory tract infections.

Nearly all types of infection were linked to higher risk of obesity in terms of poor outcomes, the researchers found.

“People may not get infected more easily, but recovery from infection is clearly harder.”

“Obesity is well-known as a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, diabetes,cardiovascular diseaseand many other chronic conditions,” said the study’s lead author, Professor Mika Kivimaki of the Faculty of Brain Sciences at University College London, in a press release. 

very illfrom an infection is markedly more common among people with obesity.”

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The conditions that were most strongly associated with obesity were skin and soft-tissue infections.

Those with “class 3 obesity,” which is a BMI of 40 or higher, were three times more likely to be hospitalized for infection, death or either outcome.(iStock)

Those who were initially obese and thenlost weightreduced their risk of severe infections by around 20%, the study found.

“As obesity rates are expected to rise globally, so will the number of deaths and hospitalisations from infectious diseases linked to obesity,” first author Dr.Solja Nyberg at the University of Helsinki commented in the press release.

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“To reduce the risk of severe infections, as well as other health issues linked with obesity, there is an urgent need for policies thathelp people stay healthyand support weight loss, such as access to affordable healthy food and opportunities for physical activity.”

She also emphasized the importance of obese people staying up to date with their vaccinations.

“To reduce the risk of severe infections, as well as other health issues linked with obesity, there is an urgent need for policies that help people stay healthy and support weight loss, such as access to affordable healthy food and opportunities for physical activity,” one researcher said.(iStock)

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The study did have some limitations, primarily that it only shows a strong link between obesity and infection severity, but doesn’t prove causation, the researchers noted.

There is also some debate surrounding the reliability of BMI as a definition of obesity.

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The study is limited to adults from Finland and the UK Biobank, so it may not apply to other populations.

The study was funded by Wellcome, Medical Research Council and Research Council of Finland.

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