CNN Finally Admits That Obesity Is a Contributing Factor in COVID Outcomes
CNN mocked for being one of the last to notice the connection.
During the COVID pandemic, I often stressed the role of obesity in poor COVID outcomes:
- Sweetgreen CEO Smeared as ‘Fat-Phobic’ for Stating Truth: Obesity Increases COVID-19 Risks
- Studies: Obesity perhaps the most important risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths
- Obesity and vitamin deficiency playing an important role in COVID outcomes
As early as March 1, 2020, I urged people to “Take vitamins, drink plenty of water, and start a sensible exercise regimen,” understanding that healthier weights would likely lead to better COVID outcomes.
Only now is one “mainstream” media outlet addressing the issue. CNN Health just published an article discussing how overweight people are at a much higher risk of serious COVID. The article featured information on a new study that suggests that losing weight can reduce that risk.
A large retrospective study published last week in JAMA Surgery suggests that substantial weight loss makes a difference.
The study, looking at records from 20,212 people for more than six years, was funded by a grant from Medtronic, which makes devices for weight loss surgery.The rates of positive Covid-19 tests were similar in the surgical and control groups: 9.1% and 8.7%, respectively. The weight loss among the group that had surgery was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization, need for supplemental oxygen and severe symptoms from a Covid-19 infection. This patient group also had a 53% lower 10-year cumulative incidence of all-cause non-Covid mortality, compared with the control group.
“The findings suggest that obesity can be a modifiable risk factor for the severity of Covid-19 infection,” the study said.
Critics slammed CNN for being shocked by the news well known to many (primarily Legal Insurrection readers).
Despite citing a “new study,” the article also referenced studies from August 2020, February 2021 and April 2021 that reported hospitalizations from the coronavirus were “robustly linked to cardiometabolic health” and the body-mass index.
Critics quickly took to social media to slam CNN, with some questioning why it took so long for the liberal network to acknowledge the data that was already widely known.
“A truly shocking development,” one critic jokingly wrote, while another thanked the network for finally “catching up.”
Many salient comments note the lockdown policies, especially those that targeted the gyms, contributed to the severity of the pandemic.
Nearly half of Americans gained weight during the lockdowns, with an average gain of 29 pounds.
10% gained 50lbs or more.https://t.co/7xcNaN3oeK
By closing things down, we actually may have *increased* the risk https://t.co/nPNSHNzlnn
— Brian Sullivan (@SullyCNBC) January 3, 2022
And there are reminders that those (such as yours truly) have been targeted on social media for presenting “misinformation,”…which later turned out to be the correct assessment.
One of the covid misinformation “strikes” that got MTG banned from Twitter was a tweet saying that covid is more dangerous for people who are obese https://t.co/ibw0JNoSQx
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 3, 2022
To end this post, I would like to share some actual science: Inflammation plays a crucial role in severe COVID infections. From the Archives of Medical Science recorded in the National Institute of Health website comes a 2016 study showing obesity and inflammation are linked:
Obesity is the accumulation of abnormal or excessive fat that may interfere with the maintenance of an optimal state of health. The excess of macronutrients in the adipose tissues stimulates them to release inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6, and reduces production of adiponectin, predisposing to a pro-inflammatory state and oxidative stress.
Furthermore, the virus targets fat cells directly.
Now researchers have found that the coronavirus infects both fat cells and certain immune cells within body fat, prompting a damaging defensive response in the body.
“The bottom line is, ‘Oh my god, indeed, the virus can infect fat cells directly,’” said Dr. Philipp Scherer, a scientist who studies fat cells at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, who was not involved in the research.
In 2022, I look forward to more additions to my continuing series: I Was Right About COVID.
- CNN Medical Analyst Admits Cloth Masks Don’t Work Against COVID
- The New York Times Now Agrees with Virus Response Plan I Proposed…Nearly Two Years Ago
- Tucker Carlson covers Chinese scientific report claiming coronavirus pandemic ‘originated from a laboratory in Wuhan’
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Comments
As someone that’s big-boned my natural healthy weight puts me into what BMI claims is ‘overweight’ territory.
As someone whose source of exercise was shut down by the Government two years ago I’m not at my natural healthy weight, and instead I’m clinically obese, by BMI or any other measure.
I’m not happy about it, but even with disability limiting my exercise options I can address it if I put the effort in. Meanwhile I entirely recognise that I have a higher risk from COVID – and other illnesses – and factor that into my choice of whether to vaccinate.
Quite why it’s news that CNN have acknowledged what’s been a commonly understood risk factor in this country for over a year I am however confused by. Although I guess if Twitter were banning people for posting simple basic facts then that’s newsworthy.
No, wait. It’s not. They ban people for anything that might damage the narrative.
I have a friend who is in his late 20s. Genetics are not with him on weightand he was 400 pounds when he started doing BJJ in early 2017. He had been slimming down up to COVID and after the gym got shut down he went ape shit on exercising and taking care of himself.
His knees were not doing well due to the weight- so he had to do what he could- and ended getting a decent bike.
He’s down to 250.
Though his knees were the first casualty- the heart and other organs are the next thing.
Can’t say how awesome it is to see a person take it by the horns like he did.
Leslie Eastman: CNN Finally Admits That Obesity Is a Contributing Factor in COVID Outcomes
CNN, 8/5/2020: US obesity epidemic could undermine effectiveness of a Covid-19 vaccine
CNN, 8/26/2020: Obesity increases risk of complications from Covid-19, damages vaccine efficacy, study finds
CNN: 11/20/2020: Why losing weight might protect you from Covid-19
CNN, 3/5/2021: Covid-19 death rates 10 times higher in countries where most adults are overweight, report finds
CNN, 1/3/2022: Can weight loss help protect against Covid-19?
What rock did you crawl back from under?
And where are the links to your statements?
TheFneReport: And where are the links to your statements?
Multiple links seem to send comments to the moderation queue. However, most should be easy to verify, like this:
https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Acnn.com+%22US+obesity+epidemic+could+undermine+effectiveness+of+a+Covid-19+vaccine%22
Or you could cut out the middleman, thusly:
https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Acnn.com+covid+obesity
MTG should be reinstated with an apology. It won’t happen, but it should.
Who’s going to accept the responsibility for all the damage done?
Go Leslie! I imagine the list will be growing (quickly I hope).
I have Covid (I’m awaiting the test results, but it must be Covid, since there are no longer any other diseases). I’m totally unjabbed, and I’m not even slightly worried about surviving, because I’m not fat.
I have taken all the therapeutics that Nick Rekieta took to recover as quickly as Joe Rogan did with his vast and expensive drug regimen — absolutely none. I simply drink plenty of fluids (water in my case probably whiskey in Nick’s). I’m already recovering after two nights and two days of being nearly flattened. I haven’t even seen a doctor, and I don’t intend to.
Fat lot of good it does now….
We are a fat country. I was very thin for 1/2 of my life had 2 kids, gained but lost most of it but when menopause hit I gained 10 lbs a year… and that with playing 90 minutes of soccer 3 times a week year round in 90-100 degree weather half of it.
You would have thought I was eating bon bins all day long.
Couldn’t lose weight to save my soul, however, intermittent fasting has seemed to Rev up my metabolism when nothing ing else would ( couldn’t find any crack in my neighborhood).
Finally down from obese to overweight and I can see the light to “normal”
If communists weren’t retarded, they might have figured this out years ago along with the folks who have a normal, functioning brain.
Too bad Brian Stelter only watches Fox News (obsessively). He personally needs to know about this.
Stacey Abrams, too. She must be sweating bullets.
*sweating gravy
Just one point of clarification: the link between obesity and systemic inflammation goes well back before 2016…at least a decade or more before that.
Just look at the articles cited by the paper you referenced (which is actually more of a review designed to talk about previously published research data in aggregate).
Kamala is fat.
Yes, they are indeed interchangeable. Whichever works best.
Being fat is unhealthy? NO WAY!
Are there people that don’t know this? Hell, I’m fat right now and it is such a huge difference from when I am fit (workin on it, again). I get sick more, my endurance is lower, even my brain doesn’t work as well.
So now that we know these obese folks are selfishly choosing to overrun our healthcare system in the midst of a pandemic it’s ok to fat shame them right? /S
Get ready because this is coming to your health insurance plan. Higher insurance payouts to cover higher healthcare cost consumption by those not at BMI will be the next thing. Just as smoking was used to increase plan costs so will healthy weight.
I’ve actually managed to lose over 20 pounds in the last two years
This is just one beat of a drum. The Left/MSM (redundant) see an election coming. They HAVE to get rid of COVID. Look for increasing “discovery” of things that have been obvious since at least mid 2020–earlier if you are really paying attention.
Hochul just “discovered” that many of this in hospital “test positive” for COVID as opposed to “being in the hospital BECAUSE of COVID”.
They are hearing hoofbeats; it is time to kill off COVID. It has served its purpose–first of which was getting rid of the Orange Man.
“another thanked the network for finally “catching up.”
“Catching up” is what the MSM does when inundated by a fact they can no longer “rationally” disavow.
I’m still looking forward to another CNN exposé on Chinese wet markets.
Maybe next they’ll come up with an explanation as to why the “death rate” has risen by an unimaginable 40% (per a major insurance company).
It’s not news. Twenty years ago my doc told me that I needed to maintain a healthy weight, eat properly, exercise, and take vitamins, especially D. So CNN acts like it’s a new discovery. The mystery is why anyone takes them seriously any more.
I see with dismay friends and relatives who are obese with other frightening health problems and I’m thankful I heeded the doctor’s words. Some times all you need to do is listen up.
.
In all fairness to Xinn, their perception of obese, like most of their other perceptions of reality, have to be distorted due to the presence of TnT – otherwise known as Tater and Tank!