Earlier this week, I wrote about how journalist and COVID-19 analyst Alex Berenson got his wings clipped by Twitter for a tweet in which every line item had its basis in a news report.
Much earlier in my COVID-19 coverage, I cited reports that studies showed obesity substantially increased the risk of poor outcomes for infections. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that about 78% of people who have been hospitalized, needed a ventilator, or died from Covid-19 have been overweight or obese. Other studies confirmed this trend, as an extract from that detailed post highlights.
The case-fatality rate was 9.2%, and 21% of hospitalized patients died. Obesity alone almost tripled the risk of death (aHR, 2.7), while obesity combined with other underlying illnesses increased the risk of death and other severe outcomes even further (diabetes HR, 2.79; immunosuppression HR, 5.06; high blood pressure HR, 2.30).
Furthermore, news about another study from Cleveland has just been released….confirming the 3 previous reports that I have already discussed.
According to recent Cleveland Clinic research, the risk for these long-term COVID-19 complications may be higher for those who suffer from obesity.“Patients who had moderate or severe obesity had 30% greater risk of developing these chronic consequences of disease,” said lead author Ali Aminian of Cleveland Clinic.Dr. Aminian and his team studied a registry of nearly 3,000 people who survived COVID-19 and followed them until January 2021. Results show chronic complications from COVID-19 are extremely common — about 40% of people who survived the disease had subsequent chronic problems. Results also show risk for hospital admission after the initial phase of COVID-19 was about 30% higher in people with moderate-to-severe obesity.
Therefore, the most effective single action our press and social media could take to decrease the severity of the pandemic would be to campaign for Americans to eat wisely and exercise…preferably outdoors.
However, what do the Big Tech, social media “fact-checkers” do? They smear a CEO of a business that sells salads for speaking the truth about COVID-19 science.
Sweetgreen co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman wrote a LinkedIn post Tuesday connecting obesity to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, saying “no vaccine nor mask will save us” and proposing taxes on processed food and refined sugar.The post was deleted Wednesday, several hours after Vice published a story about it. Even before Vice’s article, commenters on Neman’s original post were calling his argument “fat-phobic.”Sweetgreen confidentially filed for an initial public offering in June, making this an inopportune time for controversy surrounding the company. Consumer backlash could hurt both its reputation and sales, turning off investors.
Fortunately, the New York Post captured Neman’s post, which is backed up by the data I have offered in previous articles.
78% of hospitalizations due to COVID are Obese and Overweight people,” Neman began his now-deleted LinkedIn post. “Is there an underlying problem that perhaps we have not given enough attention to? Is there another way to think about how we tackle “healthcare” by addressing the root cause?”The article goes on to list three points — that COVID is endemic, that mask and vaccine mandates have been prioritized over “health mandates” and that obesity causing the pandemic should serve as an inspiration to create “a healthier future.”
Fortunately, many on social media recognize the connection between obesity and poor COVID-19 outcomes.
One of my pet peeves is commercials normalizing obesity, a condition known to cause a wide array of serious health consequences. While I can appreciate the beauty of diverse body types, those bodies should be presented at a healthy weight, especially during this pandemic. Celebrating fat in the era of COVID-19 is the equivalent of celebrating rat infestation in the era of the Black Death.
The most recent, and most egregious example, is Old Navy’s “Bode Equality” promotion.
Not all bodies are created equal. But individuals can make good choices that can increase their chances of battling COVID-19 successfully.
I would like to applaud Neman for speaking science-truth and vow to eat at Sweetgreen whenever the opportunity avails. Bravo to a brave man.
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