YES, OBESITY RAISES THE RISKS . . . BUT THERE IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION

MY two sons are doctors working on the frontline of this pandemic. One is an anaesthetist in intensive care, and the other is an infectious diseases specialist.

The shocking statistics about the number of obese people with complications from Covid-19, and the fact that one in four of those who die have type 2 diabetes, is not lost on them. The truth is that their jobs would be a whole lot easier if so many of their patients weren’t overweight.

I’ve been working at the forefront of diabetes research for over 30 years and my team was the first to pinpoint the precise connection between eating too much food and developing type 2 diabetes.

When I heard that Covid-19 targets the respiratory system, I knew that overweight people would be at greater risk.

Any excess fat around the neck and airway, plus the extra weight on the chest, hinders breathing — making very heavy people more vulnerable to complications.

We also know that being overweight considerably increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes — and if you’ve got diabe

tes, your liver will be pumping out dangerous fats, which accumulate inside the blood vessels that supply your important organs, causing multiple problems, including the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Covid-19 causes blood clots, particularly in those with elevated blood sugar levels; and those with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes are in the biggest trouble because their blood vessels are already damaged. If you’re overweight and you’ve got diabetic changes going on in your body, then Covid-19 presents a sinister foe.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! As a man, I have twice the risk of dying from this awful virus as a woman, and at the age of 68 my immune system may not be as strong as that of a younger person (the over-70s have four times the risk of dying as those in their 50s).

But I work to stay slim because I know that’s the best way for me to live my life to the full.

The estimated two-thirds of the population who are overweight or obese, together with those with type 2 diabetes, should take comfort in the knowledge that they can take action to reduce their risk of death from Covid-19.

No single diet plan suits everyone, but anyone can lose weight

— and our research shows that losing weight rapidly is far easier than a long drawn-out attempt.

We have shown that by losing weight you can reverse your type 2 diabetes. And our very latest research at the University of Newcastle (just published in the journal Diabetes Care) shows that if you keep that weight off for a year, your insulin-producing cells will return to normal.

We need to stand strong against the persuasive forces of the food industry.

Yes, exercise is brilliant for overall health, but you cannot cycle or run your way out of eating too much food.

The focus has to be on limiting food consumption. Legislation is essential to place modest restraints on the supply of ‘empty calories’.

I’d like to see restrictions on fast-food outlets near schools, regulation of added sugar and fat in processed food, as well as super-sized and bargain meals; clear and visible calorie labelling on single-consumption items, and continued pressure for a sugar tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.

Together with many other experts, I have been calling for this action for many years. The difference now is that Covid-19 is shining a bright light on what we know should be done.