Does it make sense to lose weight in order not to die from Covid? – Wel.nl

In the second wave, overweight people seem to be affected even more than in the first wave. More obese people become critically ill, more of them die. Does it still make sense to lose weight, or are you already too late?

Doctor Guy T’Sjoen endocrinologist, says against HLN that 60 percent of the corona patients who ended up on the Belgian ICs had a BMI of over 25. About 30 percent were overweight and 30 percent obesity. “How come? Overweight people more often also have other health problems, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease or (predisposition to) diabetes. In addition, it is more difficult to properly ventilate obese patients. The fat mass in the abdomen presses on the chest, making it less easy to open the lungs. “

The virus enters our body through so-called ACE2 receptors. These are a kind of antennae that are located on the outside of the cells. “Those receptors are mainly in the lungs, but also in adipose tissue, among other things,” says Professor T’Sjoen. “If you have a lot of adipose tissue and therefore a lot of those gateways through which the virus can enter, you get a much more serious infection.”

In short: in addition to washing your hands and sneezing into your elbow, it is also beneficial not to be too fat. Does it still make sense to try to lose weight?

Doctor T’Sjoen says that this is certainly useful. And even losing a little weight helps, according to him. “Losing a little weight if you are overweight is even the only meaningful way to boost your immunity,” says T’Sjoen. “Taking food supplements doesn’t do much. Slimming down if you are overweight or obese is another essential but so far missing corona measure, in addition to washing hands regularly, wearing face masks and keeping your distance. ”

According to Dr. T’Sjoen, overweight people don’t even need to lose that much weight: 5 percent is enough. “If you weigh 100 pounds, try to lose weight until you weigh 95. This does not require too great an effort. You can go a long way with more and more frequent exercise and a healthier diet. By Christmas you can already have a good result. ”

Bron (nen): HLN – .