In CDC Study, 61% Of Teens Hospitalized With COVID-19 Were Obese to Severely Obese!

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that a majority of teenagers hospitalized with COVID-19 have one thing in common: obesity.

Among a sample of 915 patients aged 12-17 years old from six U.S. hospitals, 61.4% were obese, the CDC found. Sixty and five-tenths percent had “severe obesity,” defined as having a body mass index (BMI) above 40. Having a BMI above 30 qualifies as obese.

In the general population, about 9% of adults have severe obesity, according to the CDC. Sixty percent of teenagers being afflicted with the condition as COVID-19 hospital patients is highly disproportionate.

Obese adolescents have vastly worse covid outcomes. The public health establishment should take this seriously—and not shutter things like school and sports, which provide balanced meals and physical activity to millions of kids https://t.co/f3SgfCgoLz

— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) January 3, 2022

“Compared with patients without obesity, those with obesity required higher levels and longer duration of care,” the researchers wrote. “These findings are consistent with previous reports and highlight the importance of obesity and other medical conditions as risk factors for severe COVID-19 in children and adolescents.”

One of the only positive takeaways of the pandemic has been that young people are less affected by COVID-19 than the elderly. In fact, the most vital indicator of negative COVID-19 outcomes is age: Unlike the Spanish flu, which ravaged armies that were overwhelmingly comprised of otherwise healthy young people during World War I, COVID-19’s death toll is dramatically skewed toward those who have already lived many years. The average age of death from Spanish flu was 28.

Even with the young having a very low death rate from COVID, about 600 Americans under the age of 18 have died of COVID-19 during the pandemic. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) took a closer look at young people who were hospitalized for COVID-19 in July and August, while the delta variant wave took hold, and largely found that healthy young people continue to mostly evade the worst of COVID-19.

The study found that most young people who suffer severe COVID-19 outcomes had underlying health conditions. The most common, especially for teenagers, was obesity.

The data confirms that COVID-19 can be a fatal disease, even for young people, but vaccine status and having generally good health and strong immunity are extremely important variables. It remains the case that healthy children who do not have underlying health conditions—particularly obesity—are by and large safe from negative COVID-19 health outcomes.

“Compared with patients without obesity, those with obesity required higher levels and longer duration of care,” wrote the study’s authors. “These findings are consistent with previous reports and highlight the importance of obesity and other medical conditions as risk factors for severe COVID-19 in children and adolescents.”

With weight being the main driver of increased risks of death from COVID and other diseases, guarding against must be paramount. To prevent obesity, encourage healthy eating and active lifestyles among the youth in your life.

Childhood obesity has increased during the pandemic, exacerbating the issue. The increase in obesity in children coincided with shutdowns of schools and extracurricular activities, making it harder for some kids to participate in sports or other exercises.

Exercise is not a guarantee someone will not become overweight, but youth who play sports or engage in physical activity, at least 30 minutes per day, are less likely to become obese and typically support strong natural immunity,

Physically active kids tend to have better diets than those who stay indoors all day, glued to their smartphones and television screens.

Written By: Eric Thompson, host of the Eric Thompson Show.

Follow Eric on his website ETTALKSHOW, and social media platforms, MAGABOOK, Twellit & Twitter.