Are you eagerly awaiting the COVID-19 vaccine so you can get back to normal life?
Well, you might just have to think again—but probably not for the reasons that first pop into your mind.
Are You Overweight?
If you are overweight, you are not alone. The Center for Disease Control says that 71.6% of Americans are overweight and 42.2% of those people fall into the obese spectrum.
If you’re in the nearly 72% of Americans who are overweight, you may be disappointed to learn that vaccines don’t work very well for you.
Why the COVID-19 Vaccine Might Not Work for You
Vaccines work by creating an inflammatory response in the body. This inflammatory response trains the immune system to kill the pathogen that created the initial inflammation from vaccines.
Sounds great—and it is, but hold on…
In overweight and obese people, there is such chronic inflammation that vaccines are much less effective.
Vaccines for influenza, hepatitis B, tetanus and more have been shown to be ineffective in obese people versus normal weight people. This is leading scientists (and this nutritionist) to believe the same will be true for any COVID-19 vaccine. It just won’t be as effective if you are overweight or obese.
Can’t They Tweak the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Of course, there is not currently a safe vaccine that has been tested to prevent COVID-19. But even when we DO have a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Raz Shaikh, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, there is no way there will be a vaccine tailored to the 107+million Americans who are obese.
Early on in the pandemic, the Chinese noticed that heavier patients didn’t fare well. They were more likely to contract the virus, and those who did, had a tougher time.
With that information health officials in the US knew Americans were in for trouble. Initially, the CDC warned that people with a BMI over 40 were at increased risk. That was later adjusted to people with a BMI of 30 or more. Folks, that is most of us.
If the Vaccine Won’t Work, What Can I Do?
The vaccine isn’t the best answer. But don’t give up! The good news is that the BEST answer to this pandemic is looking at YOU, honestly, in the mirror.
You alone have the power to change your risk factors for COVID-19–and the host of chronic diseases that plague US citizens.
At Living Well Nutrition, we test your BMI and coach you on the road to better health. Want to know your BMI? Give us a call, 970-685-8531, and schedule a 20-minute appointment to get tested and have your results reviewed with our nutritionist. Don’t let fear hold you back. Choose today to be proactive in protecting your health.
Photo credits:
Vaccine from the CDC
Overweight woman photo by AllGo
Woman in mirror by Taylor Smith
