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hi, if you’re fat and you’re worried about fat and COVID mortality, try not to be afraid.
fat in and of itself has a mix of effects on respiratory health and COVID mortality. some positive, some negative, as far as we know at this moment.
fat in and of itself has a mix of effects on respiratory health and COVID mortality. some positive, some negative, as far as we know at this moment.
don’t worry about losing weight in order to reduce your risk of severe COVID disease. there’s stuff you can do that seems to help (again, as far as anyone knows right now), but it doesn’t have much to do with your weight per se.
there are prone breathing exercises you can do that respiratory consultants recommend: see the link below.
if you are able to, moving more and sitting less, eating less salt and avoiding stress may also help lessen the effects of COVID on the circulatory system - as these can reduce potential harm from hypertension.
but losing weight in and of itself doesn’t seem to help stave off the worst effects of COVID. and the damage that crash dieting can do to your immune, endocrine and circulatory systems should also be avoided.
we don’t know enough about the effects of COVID to know exactly what to do to avoid the worst of the disease. but we know a bit more about transmission. the best way to avoid severe COVID disease is to avoid COVID.
that means:
- wear a mask if you possibly can and ask others to wear them
- wash your hands and use antibacterial gel frequently outside your home
- avoid social gatherings
- stay 2m from people in enclosed spaces if you’re going to be longer than 10min in the space together
- wear a mask if you possibly can and ask others to wear them
- wash your hands and use antibacterial gel frequently outside your home
- avoid social gatherings
- stay 2m from people in enclosed spaces if you’re going to be longer than 10min in the space together
the UK govt - and for the purposes of this conversation, that includes Public Health England and NHS England - is trying to prepare us for a second wave, without lockdown.
they’re selling us the story that people who will die in that wave will have brought that on themselves.
they’re selling us the story that people who will die in that wave will have brought that on themselves.
they are doing this in order to stave off criticism from people who understand that a second wave should be met with another lockdown, and a more generous socio-economic support package for those who will suffer as a result.
they don’t want that. they want us working no matter what, and blaming one another for spreading disease and “draining” the NHS.
don’t fall for it! make masks for friends; learn about your respiratory and circulatory health; take steps to manage your stress; if exercise is accessible to you and good for you*, do some exercise. but don’t blame yourself for being fat, or assume you’ll be ill for that reason.
*exercise isn’t good for everyone! lots of people have their chronic illness worsened by compulsory exercise. don’t fall for the blame game!
but the main risks around COVID transmission will come from unsafe workplaces and transport systems. so supporting workers - fat or not! - to organise to make workplaces safer is one major way you can reduce your COVID risk.
newer research into children’s transmission risks also suggests that schools are only safe to be open when community transmission rates are low. so support parents and children to do what they need to stay safe - including home learning. community learning initiatives can help!
there is so much we all can do to reduce COVID transmission that doesn’t rely on blaming people for being old, fat, ill or disabled. all of that - no matter how you encounter it, no matter who says it - is *BULLSHIT*.
