09-05-2020, 11:25 AM
It hasn't been clear to me whether the actual mass/weight (BMI) of a COVID patient is somehow contributory to a severe outcome or whether it is the genetics or perhaps life style that is somehow contributory.
For instance, if a sedentary lifestyle is contributory, that lifestyle might be preferentially selected by selecting people with high BMI. Or, if one had a genetic predisposition to weight gain, that set of genes might be selected by selecting high BMI. But losing weight (perhaps by fasting) wouldn't necessarily change those conditions.
On the other hand, if it were the miles of blood vessels or some other direct effect of extra body mass, that somehow is contributory to a severe outcome, then mass/weight is a good selector (but BMI would seem to be less good as a 6'6 200-pound man would have the same mass as a 5'6" 200-pound man but very different BMIs).
Adjusting your weight to a healthy value is generally a good idea. But don't presume that "normal" BMI is what you want. At least some studies show that people with a "normal" BMI has a lower life expectancy than those with "overweight" (or even "obese I").
[If you follow the link to the slides for that particular study, I'll point out that in "Proportion of life spent in poor health", consider whether being underweight is the cause of the poor health or the result of poor health.]
Remember, "normal" is just a setting on your washing machine.
For instance, if a sedentary lifestyle is contributory, that lifestyle might be preferentially selected by selecting people with high BMI. Or, if one had a genetic predisposition to weight gain, that set of genes might be selected by selecting high BMI. But losing weight (perhaps by fasting) wouldn't necessarily change those conditions.
On the other hand, if it were the miles of blood vessels or some other direct effect of extra body mass, that somehow is contributory to a severe outcome, then mass/weight is a good selector (but BMI would seem to be less good as a 6'6 200-pound man would have the same mass as a 5'6" 200-pound man but very different BMIs).
Adjusting your weight to a healthy value is generally a good idea. But don't presume that "normal" BMI is what you want. At least some studies show that people with a "normal" BMI has a lower life expectancy than those with "overweight" (or even "obese I").
[If you follow the link to the slides for that particular study, I'll point out that in "Proportion of life spent in poor health", consider whether being underweight is the cause of the poor health or the result of poor health.]
Remember, "normal" is just a setting on your washing machine.