Not surprised over the obesity link with Covid, but shocked regarding widespread obesity rates in the Czech Republic.
Don’t have statistics, just personal observation; but something tells me this was different 20 years ago.
57% of women and 71% of men in the Czech Republic are overweight; the country leads the EU in that category.
“Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is one of the record holders with regard to obesity in Europe,” said Ladislav Dusek, director of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics in the Czech Republic (IHIS CR). As many as “80% of COVID patients admitted to hospital are obese or overweight,” he told DW.
An obesity researcher Jozef Cupka sees lifestyle habits and coronavirus restrictions in the Czech Republic as part of the problem. He notes that exercise has been banned indoors, while alcohol consumption has simultaneously risen and more people have become overweight.
Quite honestly, I would go crazy without daily exercise, which is somewhat extreme on my end; but it’s also therapeutic in many ways and I can think of nothing more unhealthy than lockdowns that prevent people from exercising or socializing.
Still, I have a hard time justifying Covid as the main factor behind obesity. I can always find many outside playgrounds in the Czech Republic with pull-up bars, basketball hoops, and other equipment, plus one can always run or jog outside…so I do believe one can stay fit during these times with the right focus.
