CNBC recently put out an article titled “CDC study finds about 78% of people hospitalized for Covid were overweight or obese (Jr., 2021).”As an exercise physiologist, I can immediately offer some insight. Keep in mind, this is my opinion on the matter, I am not a doctor, epidemiologist, immunologist, virologist or expert in infectious diseases. I do however, have some experience in collecting and analyzing data. Therefore, as a disclaimer, this article is based on information that I have gathered to formulate my own opinion. I hope to put these puzzle pieces together for you,  to help explain why so many people are being affected by Covid-19, especially here in America.

Obesity is a common and costly chronic disease in the U.S. Non-Hispanic Black adults have the highest prevalence of self-reported obesity in the U.S., followed by Hispanic adults and non-Hispanic white people, according to the CDC (CDC, 2021). In an article by Mayo Clinic, it also mentions how Covid- 19 is also affecting minorities disproportionately (which I will come back to and address later in this article):

“According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native people had an age-adjusted COVID-19 hospitalization rate about 5.3 times that of non-Hispanic white people. COVID-19 hospitalization rates among non-Hispanic Black people and Hispanic or Latino people were both about 4.7 times the rate of non-Hispanic white people (William F. Marshall, 2020).”

Mayo Clinic also claims that age also plays a factor in the risk of the disease. This helps explain why children are least affected by Covid-19:

“People of any age, even children, can catch COVID-19. But it most commonly affects middle-aged and older adults. The risk of developing dangerous symptoms increases with age, with those who are age 85 and older at the highest risk of serious symptoms. In the U.S., about 80% of deaths from the disease have been in people age 65 and older. Risks are even higher for older people when they have other health conditions (Staff, 2021).”

About 94% of people that have died of Covid-19, have died with contributing health conditions according to a publication by JEMS ( (CDC Report Finds Underlying Conditions in 94 Percent of COVID-19 Deaths, 2020)

Another artcle reads, “ A lack of comorbidities was partially protective against COVID-19 mortality, but not completely. Of COVID-19 patients who died, 83.29% had a preexisting comorbidity, while 16.71% did not, per the medical claims data (Robin Gelburd, 2020).”

Essentially, it seems as though if you have any combination of being overweight/obese, you are a person of color, and you are over the age of 65, your odds of getting really sick from Covid-19, multiplies. Being overweight and obese however, automatically puts you at risk for metabolic syndrome or other underlying health conditions, such as diabetes type 2, heart disease, some cancers and other preventable diseases regardless of age or skin color. This explains the high death rate associated with comorbidity. It is safe to say that not many people are dying or being hospitalized from Covid alone, but as a result of other underlying health conditions associated with obesity and age.

I will now address an issue I have with Mayo Clinic’s omission to mention anything about food deserts in poor communities and economic status of minorities in their article. (William F. Marshall, 2020). I would also point out that it fails to provide any citation to how it came to the their conclusions, including those of racism. They target racism as a potential cause as to why minorities are suffering from Covid more than other ethnicities.

So why are minorities getting more sick than other ethnic groups? Is it because Covid -19 is racist?

We live in a society where it is cheaper to buy a 2-liter soda at roughly the price of 1-2 dollars, than it is to get a gallon of milk at about 3-4 dollars. Typically, the cheaper the food product you consume the higher in sodium and high fructose corn syrup the product contains.

Poorer communities have significantly less available foods and quality of produce as compared to affluent communities (Yale, 2008). There tend to be more minorities in poorer communities than in affluent communities (Sauter, 2018). I would contend that it is not skin color that is a driving factor of Covid contraction, hospitalization and death, but an underlying health and economic one. Not to mention locking people down in their homes and shutting down businesses did not actually help poor communities thrive financially.

Chances are, most people gained unwanted weight, this year and last year, regardless of economic status. The most likely cause of this weight gain may or may not be attributed with the psychological trauma associated with the hardships of the pandemic. Ask yourself did you gain unwanted weight this year or last year? If so what caused it? Your overall health, wellness and fitness, are your greatest investments not only against Covid-19, but also many diseases that are preventable. Exercising and eating right does not mean you will not get sick or get a disease. It means your chances of survival skyrocket through preventative measures. What will you do today to improve your health and well-being?

Works Cited

CDC. (2021, June 7). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved from CDC: www.cdc.gov

CDC Report Finds Underlying Conditions in 94 Percent of COVID-19 Deaths. (2020, October 21). Retrieved from Journal of Emergency Medical Services: https://www.jems.com/coronavirus/cdc-report-underlying-conditions-94-percent-covid-19-deaths/

Jr., B. L. (2021, March 8). CDC study finds about 78% of people hospitalized for Covid were overweight or obese. Retrieved from CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/08/covid-cdc-study-finds-roughly-78percent-of-people-hospitalized-were-overweight-or-obese.html

Robin Gelburd, J. (2020, November 11). Contributor: Links Between Covid-19 Comorbidities, Mortality Detailed in FAIR Health Study. Retrieved from AJMC.

Sauter, M. B. (2018, October 10). faces of poverty: What racial, social groups are more likely to experience it? Retrieved from USA Today: www.usatoday.com

Staff, M. C. (2021, April 16). COVID-19: Who’s at higher risk of serious symptoms? Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-who-is-at-risk/art-20483301#:~:text=Older%20age,highest%20risk%20of%20serious%20symptoms.

William F. Marshall, I. M. (2020, August 13). Coronavirus infection by race: What’s behind the health disparities? Retrieved from mayoclinic.org: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/coronavirus-infection-by-race/faq-20488802

Yale. (2008, September 2008). Food deserts in America: Healty foods scare in poor neighborhoods, Yale researchers find. Retrieved from Yale News: news.yale.edu