Are overweight people responsible for the majority of COVID-19 deaths?

More than a year after the start of the pandemic, the scientific and health communities have identified a number of risk factors that increase the likelihood of COVID-19 complications.

Among them, old age, pre-existing diseases and overweight or obesity lead to an increased risk of hospitalization and even death.

A recent report by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) revealed new links between obesity and the results of COVID-19.

The claim

Shortly after WOF released its findings, incendiary conservative Jack Posobiec went on a tidal wave, noting that “studies have already shown that the majority of virus deaths came from people who were overweight”.

The facts

There is no denying that obesity is a driving force between COVID-19-related mortality and other adverse outcomes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, it can triple a person’s risk of hospitalization.

The report released by WOF this week found more worrying news about COVID-19 in relation to weight. Analyzing data on obesity from Johns Hopkins University and the WHO Global Health Observatory, 2.2 million of the 2.5 million COVID-19 deaths reported in February occurred in countries where more than half of the population is classified as overweight.

Data from more than 160 countries show a linear correlation between a nation’s COVID mortality and the obesity rate, finding that no country with an obesity rate below 40% reported high mortality rates.

For example, in Vietnam, which has one of the lowest death rates, only about 18% of the population qualifies as overweight.

The United States, on the other hand, has an obesity rate of about 67 percent and ranks second in COVID-19 mortality rates overall, with about 152 deaths per 100,000.

But while the WOF report finds compelling evidence that countries with higher levels of obesity report the majority of deaths from COVID-19, it does not say that the majority of deaths from global viruses occurred in overweight people. Instead of looking at the slice of the pie that overweight people represent in overall mortality, the study compares current obesity rates and COVID-19 mortality rates.

The authors also recognize that a country’s age structure, relative wealth and reporting capacity have an impact on COVID-19 cases.

The decision

False.

Overweight or obesity is the main cause of complications and mortality for COVID-19, but there are no figures to indicate that the majority of COVID-related deaths occurred in this general population.

The report released by WOF found that there were linear correlations between a country’s COVID-19 mortality rate and the proportion of overweight adults. It did not share the percentage of globally overweight people and they also died of COVID-19.