Credit it to TV cartoon characters and their child-friendly storylines. Somehow, no matter the odds, the hero always overcomes challenges and saves the day. As amazing as that may sound, that flicker of hope may not be much applicable in real life.
Take for instance the pandemic. At the onset, it would seem like America would take slight damage from COVID-19’s onslaught. The most powerful nation on the planet should fare better, pundits asserted. But contrary to popular belief, America was unable to contain the virus in style. Worse, far poorer and less powerful countries performed better with far lower death rates.
But a certain pattern has emerged amongst those who have fallen to the virus. As the global COVID-19 death count has reached over the one-million mark, people with weight problems are taking a hit. It’s been reported that people suffering from obesity are much more prone to get hospitalized. What’s even more confounding, they are at a greater risk to succumb to the virus.
Of course, this could work to your advantage. If you have been dealing with those extra kilos for the longest time, COVID-19 may just be the extra push you need to shape up.
The Obese Killer
For years now, pundits have been trumpeting the adverse effects of being overweight. And it’s not pretty. The list of diseases associated with being overweight and obese is jaw-dropping. National Institute of Diabetes (NIH) details some of these life-threatening diseases are:
- High blood pressure
- Type-2 diabetes
- Cancer
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Kidney disease
These complications should warrant anyone to get in shape as soon as possible. If all that looks worrisome, then all the more you should be scared. A study published no less than in the Lancet, revealed that 13% of the fat population in the world are in America. It’s estimated 30% of Americans are either overweight or obese.
As nerve-wracking as all that, there’s more. At the start of 2020, patients from all walks of life have tested positive with COVID-19, coming and going in medical facilities all over the country. In the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, medical front liners can’t help but notice patients shared one unmistakable attribute: obesity.
And true enough, as studies after studies poured during the pandemic, they found out a similar truth. Many of the most drastically affected by the virus are people who are obese. Specifically, these studies revealed that people who are obese are 113% more likely to get hospitalized once they get infected by the disease. That’s a lot more risk compared to people who are of the right weight. Plus, they’re 74% more prone to be admitted to an ICU. Lastly, they’re 48% at a higher risk to die.
How You Can Overcome It
The good news is obesity is a process. You did not become obese or overweight in a day. Losing those extra kilos of fats should also be a process.
Unfortunately, all the stay-in-place orders and quarantine measures are driving people fat. Think about it. When you stay at home and have all the hours in the world to do what you want, chances are you’re going to visit the fridge a couple more times than before.
And that is why to get started, you need to focus on things that you can’t control. While you can’t control when you can go to a gym (as it’s forbidden), you can still control what you eat and how often you exercise.
In a sense, this is why the best healthy online food blogs matter. By giving you crafty ways to satisfy your appetite without having to gain those extra weights, these health gurus are a treasure trove. Think of them as your guide to a more fit and fabulous life.
You need to have a paradigm shift. Instead of blaming yourself on your dangerous eating habits for the last six months, take things in stride. Treat the past as a learning experience.
Take a journey to yourself. Understand why you’ve been unable to give yourself a healthy dose of exercise in the past months. Additionally, understand why your eating habits have been far less ideal than they should be.
Change your mindset. Change your daily routine. While you may not be able to go to the gym these days, you can still take a walk outside daily. Make it a habit in the morning. If you want more, a host of online exercise apps should bid you well.
Certainly, you can do a lot when you just put your mind to it. By doing so, you should end up going through the pandemic with ease. And that means, surviving it in greater health.
