Severely obese adults are more than three times as likely to be hospitalized with severe COVID-19 than those who maintain a healthy weight.
UPI reports a new study shows the risk for hospitalization following infection with the new coronavirus increases by more than 338% for severely obese adults.
It increases by 70% for mildly obese adults, and nearly 39% for those who are overweight.
Participants were classified based on their body-mass index, or BMI. It's a measurement of weight compared to height, used to determine obesity.
Up to two-thirds of all adults in westernized countries are overweight or obese.
As such, health experts say this places a large segment of the population at increased risk for severe illness during the pandemic.