Overview
- Across more than 540,000 adults in UK and Finnish cohorts followed for 13–14 years, obesity was linked to a 70% higher risk of hospitalisation or death from infectious diseases, rising to about threefold for severe obesity.
- Applying cohort risk to 2023 Global Burden of Disease data, researchers estimate about 0.6 million of 5.4 million infection deaths worldwide were attributable to obesity.
- Country estimates varied widely, with obesity linked to roughly 26% of infection deaths in the US, 17% in the UK, 3.8% in India, and about 1.2% in Vietnam.
- Higher risks were observed for common infections including influenza, COVID-19, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and lower respiratory tract infections, with no similar effect seen for HIV or tuberculosis.
- The study is observational and not proof of causation, though authors note weight loss was associated with about a 20% lower severe‑infection risk and recommend prioritising prevention, treatment, and vaccine uptake for people with obesity.