Covid-19 deaths fuelled by ‘perfect storm’ of obesity and social inequality, major study finds
A DAMNING report today warns Britain's obesity epidemic has left us vulnerable to coronavirus.
Bulging waistlines and chronic disease coupled with social inequality over the last 30 years has created a "perfect storm" that's "fuelling" Covid deaths, scientists say.
They based their grim conclusions on the latest findings from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet.
It found that being overweight or obese is linked to four out of five of the biggest risk factors for death in the UK, including diabetes, bad diet and high blood pressure.
What's more having a high body mass index (BMI) is a contributing factor to two of the five leading causes of death in 2019.
And the researchers warn many of these conditions including obesity, diabetes and heart disease, significantly increase a person's risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19.
The study shows the UK has the lowest healthy life expectancy in western Europe at 68.9 years - that's the number of years you can expect to live in good health.
Meanwhile, when it comes to life expectancy at birth, there is a growing gap between rich and poor areas, which correlates to lower and higher rates of coronavirus.
The researchers warn urgent action is needed to tackle spiralling rates of chronic disease and social inequality if we are to protect against future health threats.
Dr Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, said: "One lesson of this pandemic is that it is not a simple pandemic.
"In fact, it's a synthesis of at least two epidemics - a coronavirus, and an epidemic of non-communicable diseases on a background of poverty and inequality."
He added: "Non-communicable diseases have played a critical role in driving the more than one million deaths caused by Covid-19 to date, and will continue to shape health in every country after the pandemic subsides.
"As we address how to regenerate our health systems in the wake of Covid-19, this Global Burden of Disease Study offers a means of targeting where the need is greatest, and how it differs between countries."
UK's biggest killers
The major study, which looked at deaths across 204 countries, shows the five leading causes of death in the UK in 2019 were:
- heart disease - 93,400 deaths
- stroke - 50,600
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - 43,900
- lung cancer - 42,800
- Alzheimer's disease and dementia - 32,400
That compares with 43,293 coronavirus deaths so far this year.
Meanwhile, it shows four of the five biggest risk factors for death in the UK are linked to obesity:
- tobacco - contributing to 125,000 deaths
- high blood pressure - 87,800
- bad diet - 78,500
- high blood sugar - 75,500
- obesity or high BMI - 56,200
One in three adults in the UK are overweight or obese, with 20 per cent of kids leaving primary school obese.
The number of obese adults soared from 6.9 million in 1997 to around 13 million in 2017, according to Diabetes UK.
Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, warned that years of inaction in tackling obesity is to blame.
"Obesity has been a public health failure since 1992 when the government first announced that tackling it would be a priority - but then did nothing to implement a strategy," he said.
"It is scant wonder that the UK is in the woeful situation described by The Lancet.
"Many hoped that Boris Johnson's 'War against fat' declared mid coronavirus pandemic in July would finally see Whitehall implement the bold measures now urgently needed to win the battle.
"But no implementation has been forthcoming except a 'consultation on labelling'. By itself that is not going to get anyone slimmer."
Life expectancy gap grows
The new findings from the GDB study shows the gap between life expectancy in different parts of the UK was also found to reflect differences in rates of Covid-19 infection, suggesting social inequality may increase risk in certain areas.
Across the UK life expectancy at birth increased from 75.8 years to 81.1 years between 1990 and 2019,. But the researchers warned the gap between the most and least deprived areas is vast.
It ranges from 84.5 years in Richmond upon Thames to 76.4 years in Blackpool.
Meanwhile, data from Public Health England, shows the rate of coronavirus for the seven days up to October 11 in Richmond upon Thames is 142.4 cases per 100,000 people.
In comparison the rate for Blackpool is 261 cases per 100,000 of the population.
Life expectancy linked to Covid
Dr Horton said: "I don't think it's a coincidence that we are seeing some of the most serious effects of Covid-19 in some of the areas of the UK where there are lowest life expectancies.
"If you take life expectancy as a marker for overall health suffers, then what you're seeing is that in parts of the UK, some of the most challenging health profiles are (among) the populations that are most vulnerable to Covid-19.
"So this is where I really want to emphasise this point - we are not dealing with a pandemic.
"We are dealing with syndemic - it is the interaction with the virus with people living with other diseases."
Professor Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, US, who led the study, added: "Most of these risk factors are preventable and treatable, and tackling them will bring huge social and economic benefits.
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"We are failing to change unhealthy behaviours, particularly those related to diet quality, caloric intake, and physical activity, in part due to inadequate policy attention and funding for public health and behavioural research."
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Professor John Newton, who is director of Health Improvement at Public Health England and a member of the Global Burden of Disease Scientific Council, said the report "calls for governments to do more to tackle the impact of unhealthy behaviours".
He added: "Covid has shown that health is an absolutely critical component of economic growth and equality and cannot be ignored."