An XXL Vulnerability Factor

We all know what XXL means. But what is an XXL vulnerability factor? “Statistically, people with a higher body mass index were disproportionately being injured by this pandemic,” according to Dr. Ethan Lazarus, president of the Obesity Medicine Association.  He referenced a new study by the CDC that found that in looking at more than 70,000 COVID patients hospitalized between March and December of 2020, nearly 51% were obese and 28% were overweight. According to the CDC, “Obesity is a common, serious, and costly chronic disease. In addition, having obesity puts people at risk for many other serious chronic diseases and increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.” 

Facts

Here are the facts:

• More than ⅓ of the adults in the US are obese.
• Obesity affects 1 in 6 children in the US.
• Obesity is linked to more than 60 chronic diseases.
• Overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults.
• Obesity costs $147 billion each year.
• As of 2017, all 50 states have obesity rates of 20% or higher.
• Globally, obesity is one of the top 5 causes of death, causing nearly 3 million deaths per year.

What more do you need to know? First, weight and obesity are not only making us vulnerable but killing us. 

All Kinds of Unhealthy

I was in a supermarket one day, and there was an obese person in the line in front of me. I have no judgment towards this person. But what was interesting was she was judgmental of me because I wasn’t wearing a mask. I had a cart filled with fruits and vegetables and healthy lean proteins. She had a cart literally filled with probably; I’m going to estimate, a dozen 32-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola. And another few six-packs of Coca-Cola. Then, she had all kinds of unhealthy chips and snacks. 

She was wearing a mask, and she was concerned about her vulnerability. She looked at me and judged me because I wasn’t wearing a mask, where I’m not contagious, and I’m not hurting anybody. I’m not afraid of something that she’s going to give to me. And I know that there’s nothing that I have that I’m going to give to her. But yet, she was judging me because I didn’t wear a mask. Here’s the thing about this that I think is really important. If you are unhealthy and you know you need to make changes, and you’re not willing to make them, why should we mandate or cause the rest of the world to make changes in their life that are inconvenient and unhealthy in many ways—like we’re learning that masks are?

Lifestyle and Choices

It’s an important concept because it has nothing to do with me changing you or you changing me. This is about you Becoming A ‘Least Vulnerable Person.’ If you’re truly concerned about your vulnerability, then you should really take a look at how you manage your weight. But, again, this has nothing to do with your age and everything to do with your lifestyle and the choices you make. Adults between the ages of 40 and 59 are indeed more likely to be obese. In fact, more than 40 percent of adults between these ages are obese. Another one-third of adults age 60 and over are obese. However, another one-third (32.3 percent) of adults age 20 to 39 are obese. Perhaps worse of all is that around 17 percent of American children ages 2 to 19 are obese. That’s more than 12.7 million American children. One in 8 preschoolers is obese. 

This is a problem that can and must be addressed. Make the necessary changes.  The 100 Year Lifestyle is here to help. Check out our site for healthy recipes and articles with information on improving your diet and starting moving again. Or find a provider near you as the first step in building the health care team you need to shed the pounds, stop being a statistic, and start down the path to your 100 Year Lifestyle!