People with obesity 70% more likely to be hospitalised by or die from infection, study finds

"Being an unhealthy weight significantly increases the risk of severe illness and death from most infectious diseases, including flu, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections and Covid-19, according to a study of more than 500,000 people. Obesity may already be a factor in as many as 600,000 of 5.4 million deaths (11%) from infectious diseases every year, researchers found. The study's first author, Dr Solja Nyberg, of the University of Helsinki, said the problem could worsen."

"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. In the meantime, she added, it was especially important for those living with obesity to keep up to date with their vaccinations."

"To fill that evidence gap, the study used data from 67,000 adults in two studies in Finland and 470,000 adults in the UK Biobank dataset to look at the relationship between obesity and severe infectious disease. Participants had their body mass index (BMI) assessed and were followed for an average of 13 to 14 years. The average age at the start of the study was 42 for the Finnish group and 57 in the UK cohort."

People living with obesity are about 70% more likely to be hospitalised by or die from an infection, and roughly one in ten infection-related deaths globally is linked to obesity. An unhealthy weight increases risk of severe illness and death from flu, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections and Covid-19. Data from more than 500,000 adults in Finland and the UK with BMI measured and 13–14 years of follow-up estimate that obesity may account for about 600,000 of 5.4 million annual infectious-disease deaths (around 11%). Rising obesity prevalence is likely to increase infection-related hospitalisations and deaths, making healthy-food access, physical activity, weight-loss support and vaccination uptake urgent priorities.

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