A new study led by UNC raises concerns about the impact of obesity on the effectiveness of a future COVID-19 vaccine.

A review of COVID-19 studies reveals a significant connection between two health crises: coronavirus and obesity.

A team of researchers at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health collaborated with World Bank health on a paper now published in Obesity Reviews.

In this paper, immunological and biomedical data was reviewed, providing a detailed layout of how obesity is linked with an increased risk of COVID-19 – as well as an increased likelihood of developing more severe complications from the virus.

They found that those with a BMI over 30 were 113 percent more likely to be hospitalized, 74 percent more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and had a 48 percent higher risk of death from the virus.

According to this UNC study, obesity is already associated with numerous underlying risk factors for COVID-19, including hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney and liver disease.

Metabolic changes caused by obesity – such as insulin resistance and inflammation – make it difficult for individuals with obesity to fight some infections. This is a trend that can be seen in other infectious diseases as well, such as influenza and hepatitis.

Roughly 40 percent of Americans are obese and the pandemic’s resulting lock-down has led to a number of conditions that make it harder for individuals to achieve or sustain a healthy weight.

The study notes that the ability to access healthy foods has exacerbated these health problems. Economic hardships put those who are already food insecure at further risk, making them more vulnerable to conditions that can arise from consuming unhealthy foods.

To combat the potentially severe effects that stem from COVID-19 and obesity, UNC researchers note that healthy food policies – such as taxing foods that are high in sugar – can play a supportive and important role in the mitigation of COVID-19 mortality moving forward.

Read more about the study here.

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