Covid-19: Why are people with obesity so much more at risk?

A recent study show that obesity has a devastating impact on the risks of complications from Covid-19. Global research indicates that people with obesity are 113% more likely to be hospitalised, 74% more likely to end up in an ICU and 48% more likely to die.

Professor Barry Popkin, of the University of North Carolina, describes what might lead to this greater risk, and how the pandemic is leading to less healthy eating patterns around the world, particularly among low-income communities.

Photo: People in a queue for a Covid-19 test in El Salvador Credit: Getty Images