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Obesity is a qualifying condition for an early COVID-19 vaccine in at least 18 states.
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The limit for obesity is determined by the body mass index (BMI) – anyone with a BMI above 30.
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Using a simple formula, you can calculate it yourself at home.
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Obesity, or having a body mass index (BMI) above 30, is now a qualifying condition for early access to a COVID-19 vaccine in at least 18 states, including New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
If your BMI is in the obesity range or counts as “normal”, underweight or overweight, this may play an important role in the risk of complications with COVID-19.
You can find out if you fall into any of these categories by calculating your own BMI. See how.
How to determine your BMI
Your BMI is determined by body weight in relation to height.
To find yours: take your weight in pounds, divide it twice by your height in inches and multiply that total by 703.
For example, if you are 5’7 “(or, 67 inches) tall and weigh 180 pounds, that is: 180 ÷ (67 x 67) x 703 = 28.18.
That BMI would put you in the category of overweight.
You can also use a free online calculator, such as the one on the CDC website.
How to read your BMI measurement
Having a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered “normal” weight.
A BMI of 18.5 or less is considered to be underweight.
Between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
A BMI of 30 and above is considered obesity and 40+ is classified as severe obesity.
What does BMI mean for COVID-19?
There is good evidence that having obesity may be a risk factor for severe COVID-19 and complications of the disease. Severe obesity is associated with an increased risk.
At the other end of the scale, however, being underweight can be just as risky. The data show that patients with underweight COVID-19 are up to 20% more likely to be hospitalized than their normal weight peers and twice as likely to die than patients with obesity.
The research suggests that people with the lowest risk of coronavirus complications are at the upper limit of the normal BMI range, or slightly overweight.
However, BMI is not always an accurate measure of health. Higher BMI is often associated with weight stigma, which can lead to worse health outcomes. Other factors such as age and underlying health conditions also play an important role in COVID-19 risk, so don’t rely solely on BMI to assess your risk.
“On an individual level, BMI may not be a perfect indicator of someone’s health risk. It is one of several measures we have to assess health risks,” said Dr. W. Scott Butsch, director of obesity medicine Cleveland Clinic, formerly Insider.
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