[Daily Caller] It’s become common knowledge that the elderly and people who are immunocompromised are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus. But there’s another underlying condition that millions of Americans have that helps place the country at first place in coronavirus cases compared to the rest of the world and that medical professionals say may be leading to increased risk of severe illness — obesity.
The obesity rate in the U.S. is roughly 38%, a number that makes Americans the heaviest in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people of any age that are obese are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
The comparison between the U.S.’s obesity rate and the rest of the world’s is striking. In Europe, Hungary was among the only countries to come close to the U.S.’s rate, at 30%. Mexico was the second heaviest, at 32.4%, according to Market Watch.
Medical professionals like Dr. Stephen J. Carter have questioned the links between obesity and coronavirus complications. While experts continue to learn more about the links between the two, there has been evidence indicating that one of America’s epidemics — obesity — is worsening the effects of the pandemic for Americans who are obese.