Page 32 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 12

Health & Healing
MY AFRIKA

OBESITY

Major risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease outcomes

By: Dr. Peter Mokaya

he month of March, of the interventions to reduce the as the main risk factor), chron-
2021 is almost gone and most severe outcome; the outcome ic chest diseases; asthma and
with it the 3rd wave of of death. chronic obstructive pulmonary
TCOVID-19 rages on, disease-COPD ( with tobacco
without any signs of slowing down • Epidemiological evidence smoking and air pollution as the
soon! There is, however, some hope shows that those who are likely main risk factors) and cancers,
with new vaccines now available. to succumb to Covid-19 are with a broad range of risk
However, even with the availabili- older persons, mostly male, with factors, including toxic foods
ty of these experimental vaccines pre-existing chronic diseases, and other environmental toxins.
which have been brought to market also referred to as non-commu- (refer to previous blog articles)
in unprecedented record time, due nicable diseases (NCDs): These
to the emergency nature of the pan- include, diabetes(whose main • Emerging evidence suggests
demic, it is increasingly clear that, risk factor is unhealthy diets and that one key modifiable risk fac-
there is need to do more in address- physical inactivity), cardiovascu- tor, previously not considered,
ing underlying risk factors as part lar diseases (with blood pressure is obesity. Recent scientific evi-

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