I came across two articles in just one day which motivate strongly to manage your excess body weight.
One reason is because even mild obesity raises the risk of COVID-19 severity, the other reason is with regards to excess wight and its relation to Alzheimers.
Patients with mild obesity had a 2.5 times greater risk of respiratory failure with COVID, and have a five times greater risk of being admitted to an ICU compared to non-obese patients. Those with a BMI of 35 and over were also 12 times more likely to die from COVID-19. These are very convincing stats, and odds. Even with flu, obesity is known to double the risk of influenza and increases the duration of stay in the ICU along with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation during such infections. And obesity is one of the primary causes of metabolic syndrome. According to an article published in the Journal of Virology. (Science Daily July 2020)
One of the largest studies linking obesity with brain dysfunction, scientists analyzed over 35,000 functional neuroimaging scans using single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) from more than 17,000 individuals to measure blood flow and brain activity. Low cerebral blood flow is the #1 brain imaging predictor that a person will develop Alzheimer's disease. It is also associated with depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, addiction, suicide, and other conditions.
"This study shows that being overweight or obese seriously impacts brain activity and increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease as well as many other psychiatric and cognitive conditions," explained Daniel G. Amen, MD, the study's lead author and founder of Amen Clinics, one of the leading brain-centered mental health clinics in the United State.
Bottom line - manage your lifestyle: Exercise more, eat real food, make sure you get decent sleep.