We Need Healthier Communities to Overcome COVID-19

Preparing for and overcoming any disaster, such as the current coronavirus pandemic, requires healthy and resilient communities.

However, after age, obesity is the biggest risk factor for being hospitalized with COVID-19.

And the U.S. has one of the highest obesity rates in the world, with drastic disparities among racial/ethnic groups, including the highest rates among Latinos.

To beat COVID-19, we need healthier communities that prevent obesity and leaders who prioritize equitable access to healthy food, housing, and safe spaces to walk and bike instead of space for cars.

“We in the U.S. have not always identified obesity as a disease, and some people think it’s a lifestyle choice. But it’s not,” said Dr. Matthew Hutter, director of the Weight Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, according to the New York Times. “It makes people sick, and we’re realizing that now.”