Greetings,
In March of 2020 we published our first newsletter on the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, we speculated that people with obesity would be adversely affected by COVID-19. One year and over 2.5 million global deaths later, we know that this is the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having a BMI ≥ 30 increases a person’s risk for invasive mechanical ventilation, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19.
Although the past year has been marked by death and despair, many are now seeing a reason to be hopeful that the end of the pandemic is near. With 3 vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. and several more in development, many are optimistic about achieving herd immunity from COVID-19 in 2021. National guidance recommends vaccinating vulnerable individuals first, although guidance has been implemented differently in each state.
In many states, individuals with a BMI ≥ 30 are considered an at-risk population that is eligible for vaccination. However, some states have introduced a bias to their vaccination rollout, prioritizing congenital diseases over those they perceive having a behavioral component. Unfortunately, this is not the first time we’ve seen weight bias contradicting science when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. Earlier in the pandemic, there was speculation that the COVID-19 vaccine would be less effective in people with obesity. However, data from the clinical trials of all three of the U.S.-approved vaccines have shown that the vaccines are equally effective in people with obesity.
| Vaccine Efficacy by BMI |
| Pfizer-BioNTech |
Moderna |
Johnson & Johnson |
| Obesity (BMI ≥ 30) |
95.4% |
Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40) |
91.2% |
Obesity (BMI > 30) |
65.9% |
| No Obesity |
94.8% |
Obesity (BMI > 30) |
95.8% |
No Obesity |
68.8% |
| All Participants |
95% |
All Participants |
94.5% |
All Participants |
66.1% |
Although comparing vaccine efficacy results can be confusing, it’s clear that all 3 vaccines available in the U.S. provide a comparable health benefit across BMIs. As people across the country register for vaccination, many are surprised to find that their BMIs qualify them to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as an at-risk individual. Although BMI has its flaws as a measurement of obesity, experts maintain that BMI is a valid measurement to use for vaccine prioritization because of the elevated severe illness risks observed for those at higher BMIs.
It’s important to remember that, regardless of BMI, the CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as one is available to you. Until vaccines are available to everyone, it is important that everyone continue to wear a mask, wash their hands frequently, and practice social distancing. For those who wish to know more about COVID-19 and obesity, several resources are available on the STOP Obesity Alliance website.
Thanks,
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Upcoming Events
Apr 7: COPE April Webinar
Apr 8: ROOS Workshop
Apr 21-25: Obesity Medicine 2021
Apr 28: ASN's Conversation in Nutrition
Jun 7-10: Nutrition 2021 Live Online
Jul 17-25: OAC's YWM Convention
Sep 23-26: Overcoming Obesity 2021
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Announcements
Pediatrics Article on Childhood Obesity
CDC Report on COVID-19 and Obesity
GLI Live: Why Weight Can't Wait
Obesity Care Week 2021 Highlights
World Obesity Day Agenda Setting
Opinion: Congress Can't Wait on Obesity
Proceedings of ROOS Workshop
March is National Nutrition Month
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Dietz Publishes New Commentary on Childhood Obesity in Pediatrics
Dr. Bill Dietz, Chair of the Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, published a new commentary in Pediatrics exploring the connections between childhood obesity and recent changes to federal nutrition programs. Dietz notes, “the reductions in the prevalence of childhood obesity achieved by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) and the changes in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package have not been widely recognized,” and explores the implications of increased food quality to improved diets and reductions in the prevalence of obesity in the most vulnerable youth served by these programs.
Learn more here. |
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CDC Report on COVID-19 and Obesity
In a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published on March 12, the CDC shared recent data on BMI and risk for COVID-19–related hospitalization, ICU Admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death.
Although it is already known that obesity increases the risk for severe COVID-19–associated illness, this report revealed that among 148,494 U.S. adults with COVID-19, a nonlinear relationship was found between body mass index (BMI) and COVID-19 severity, with lowest risks at BMIs near the threshold between healthy weight and overweight in most instances, then increasing with higher BMI. Overweight and obesity were risk factors for invasive mechanical ventilation. Obesity was a risk factor for hospitalization and death, particularly among adults aged <65 years.
These findings highlight clinical and public health implications of higher BMIs, including the need for intensive management of COVID-19–associated illness, continued vaccine prioritization and masking, and policies to support healthy behaviors.
Read the full report here. |
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GLI Live: Why Weight Can't Wait
In this episode of GLI LIVE, Donna Cryer, JD, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Liver Institute, is joined by Dr. Bill Dietz, Director of the STOP Obesity Alliance, to discuss obesity, nutrition, and liver health. The STOP Obesity Alliance's Weight Can't Wait Guide is featured as a tool for providers to begin the discussion of obesity with their patients.
Watch the recording on Facebook or YouTube. |
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World Obesity Day: Obesity - Setting the Global Agenda
For #WorldObesityDay, the World Obesity Federation was joined by colleagues across the world, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF and others for a stakeholder meeting, aimed at laying the foundations to mobilize efforts for a global solution to obesity. A recording of that meeting can be found here.
World Obesity also published a report for World Obesity Day analyzing the cost of not addressing the global obesity crisis. An executive summary of the report can be found here and the full report can be found here.
Also published for World Obesity Day, the Global Obesity Forum’s Declaration, which sets out a clear framework for policy action on obesity within the context of COVID-19, can be found here. |
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Obesity Care Week 2021 Highlights
Thank you for joining us and supporting OCW2021! YOU helped us made a difference and change the way we care about obesity and here are the results!
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Opinion: Congress Can’t Wait When It Comes to Obesity
Authored by Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN) co-chair Joe Nadglowski
Americans have lived for more than a year amid a global pandemic that has not only rocked health care and the nation to its core, but further exposed the significant health disparities that exist in this country. These disparities, including higher rates of serious disease and death due to COVID-19 in communities of color, are made significantly worse by the obesity crisis.
Read the full article here.
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Integrating Systems and Sectors Toward Obesity Solutions: Proceedings of a Workshop
On April 6, 2020 and June 30, 2020, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on the concept of complex systems and the field of systems science, including systems science approaches to obesity solutions. Speakers provided an overview of systems science theories, approaches, and applications, highlighting examples from within and outside the obesity field. Presentations and discussions examined complex systems in society that have the potential to shape public health and well-being, and considered opportunities for systems change as they relate to obesity solutions. Specifically, the workshop explored factors that can influence obesity— such as (in)equity, relationships, connections, networks, capacity, power dynamics, social determinants, and political will—and how these factors can impact communications and cross-sector collaboration to address obesity. This proceedings of a workshop summarizes presentations and discussions from these workshop sessions.
Read the publication here. |
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March is National Nutrition Month
CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) is pleased to celebrate National Nutrition Month® 2021 with their partners! Good nutrition is essential in keeping current and future generations of Americans healthy across the lifespan. The availability of healthy, affordable foods is critical to support a healthy diet, improve food and nutrition security, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. DNPAO is proud to partner with national groups, states, and communities to advance evidence-based strategies to increase access to healthier foods where people live, learn, work, and play.
Learn more here.
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COPE Webinar: Leveraging the New Economics of Nutrition for Improved Patient Care and Public Health
Over time, the economics of nutrition has shifted away from focusing on ensuring the supply of sufficient calories towards a holistic and richer understanding of macronutrients, micronutrients, and non-nutritive aspects of food impacting nutritional well-being and disease. This webinar will explore how nutrition economists use fundamental principles of economics in conjunction with new kinds of data and tools to develop deeper understandings of the social determinants of nutritional status, as well as test hypotheses about the effectiveness of nutrition interventions at the population level that may guide public policy and clinical guidelines.
Co-Presented by William Masters, PhD, Professor at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Department of Economics; and Amelia Finaret, PhD, Assistant Professor of Global Health Studies at Allegheny College. She is Co-project director for the development of applied healthy data analysis courses and research experience for undergraduates as well as a Health Informatics Computer Lab at Allegheny College.
Complete details and registration available here. |
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Exploring Strategies for Sustainable Systems-Wide Changes to Reduce the Prevalence of Obesity: A Workshop
On April 8, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions will host a one-day virtual workshop that will be the first in a series to explore sustainable systems-wide changes to reduce the prevalence of obesity. The workshop series will examine the connections between drivers of obesity (i.e. effective health communications, structural racism, and stigma and bias) and promising solutions of obesity that have potential for lasting systems change.
The April 8 workshop will feature presentations from diverse speakers and panel discussions to discuss the intersection of weight bias and stigma and obesity in the context of the healthcare and workplace setting. The workshop will also examine the intersection of structural racism and obesity in the context of housing and education, identifying policies and structures of oppression and promising solutions.
Register here. |
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Obesity Medicine 2021 Virtual Conference
Earn up to 30 CME/CE during the Obesity Medicine 2021 Virtual Conference on April 21-25 and get up-to-date education on advanced obesity treatment techniques and trends. You'll also learn practical and evidence-based guidelines for pharmacological management of obesity and related diseases, devise treatment plans for bariatric surgery complications, and more! Register Today! |
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Conversations in Nutrition & Obesity Research
Join us as we converse with esteemed leaders in the field of nutrition and obesity research! The American Society for Nutrition's new webinar series allows leaders discuss their career paths and research contributions. Visit the ASN website to learn more and register for the next interview featuring Dr. Jim Hill, Director, UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center, on Wednesday, April 28th at 2pm ET! |
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Learn the Latest at NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE
Join a truly global audience of nutrition professionals at NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE, June 7 - 10. Over four days, the American Society for Nutrition’s flagship meeting will explore the latest developments in nutrition science and discuss the most pressing policy issues in an all-virtual format. Sit in on sessions such as Precision Nutrition: Hype or Hope?; T he Changing Landscape of NASH: Navigating Current and Emerging Approaches in Diagnosis and Treatment; Diversity in Nutrition Research at NIH: Research and Professional Development Opportunities; and Food Security in the context of COVID-19. Learn about the latest advances through more than 1,300 new, original research studies presented in oral and virtual poster presentations. Plus, hear about the latest science that may help shape future policies.
Registration opens April 6th. Learn more and make plans to join us June 7 – 10 th. |
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The OAC’s Your Weight Matters Convention & EXPO is Going Virtual!
Your Weight Matters Convention & EXPO strives to always deliver a unique and immersive experience, bringing the most sought-after weight and health experts from around the world to present the best science-based information to help you navigate your journey with weight and health. Given the continued concern around the impact of COVID-19, along with the uncertainties surrounding travel-related activities and with your health and well-being in mind, we have made the prudent decision to once again go virtual for our 2021 National Convention. While we will miss hosting an in-person meeting for a second year, we are very excited to announce that YWM2021 is going virtual and to once again have the opportunity to bring our highly regarded Convention to more individuals through a virtual platform.
We will host this year’s meeting – YWM2021- VIRTUAL – July 17 – July 25
Our schedule will include live event programming activities on both weekends, with special events taking place throughout the week and you will have the opportunity to join us from the comfort of your house and immerse yourself in a unique virtual experience packed with the BEST science-based education presented by industry experts!
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Call for Proposals - Overcoming Obesity 2021 Conference
The Obesity Medicine Association is accepting presentation proposals for the Overcoming Obesity 2021 Conference from September 23-26, 2021, in Chicago, IL. The primary target audience is experienced obesity medicine practitioners who either practice obesity medicine full time or incorporate it somehow into their practice. Proposals are due by April 16, 2021. Apply Now! |
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