Authors urge cautious interpretation of global impact estimates and call for policies that support weight management, including affordable healthy food access and opportunities for physical activity.

Experts not involved in the study, such as Aubree Gordon and Samuel Klein, corroborate the findings and discuss implications for clinical practice and public health.

Associate Professor Lesley Gray highlights accessible vaccination, timely care, inclusive healthcare, reduced weight stigma, and cautions against simplistic messaging that focuses only on adiposity reduction.

Source attribution: dpa/ly (press agency).

Professor Wayne Cutfield notes that association studies cannot prove causation, mentions a dose-response pattern, and discusses potential implications for obesity treatments and policy in New Zealand, including Wegovy (semaglutide).

Dr. Monika Sharma explains mechanisms linking obesity to increased infection severity and advocates viewing obesity as a chronic metabolic disorder requiring comprehensive treatment.

A Lancet study pooling UK Biobank and Finnish data with over 540,000 participants finds obesity linked to about a 70% higher risk of hospitalization or death from infectious diseases such as Covid-19, flu, and pneumonia, with severe obesity carrying even higher risk.

Possible mechanisms include impaired immune defense, a nutrient-rich milieu that may aid pathogen survival, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and chronic low-grade inflammation, though exact causes remain uncertain.

Co-author Dr. Sara Ahmadi-Abhari of Imperial College London stresses careful interpretation of global estimates.

Biological explanations include impaired lung function, metabolic/hormonal factors, and chronic inflammation that may dampen immune responses and antibody quality.

The piece notes readers can access the article via the newspaper’s subscription and references the printed edition date of February 10, 2026, with additional details on the PÚBLICO site.

The study shows association rather than causation, calling for more global data and preventive measures such as vaccination and improved access to diet and physical activity.