NHS diabetes chief: Danger of piling on lockdown pounds

BRITONS have probably piled on the pounds while stuck indoors, the country’s top obesity and diabetes doctor warned yesterday.

Jonathan Valabhji said adults were burning fewer calories because they were not travelling to work or carrying out other daily activities.

He said the pandemic should however serve as a ‘life- changing’ trigger for changes in behaviour – especially as studies have indicated that coronavirus is more deadly for the obese.

Professor Valabhji’s research showed this week that patients with Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, were twice as likely to die than otherwise healthy individuals. His study of 24,000 patients found that nearly a third of those who died had diabetes, and that being morbidly obese further increased the risk of death.

Professor Valabhji, who is national clinical director for diabetes and obesity at NHS England and NHS Improvement, said: ‘A lot of people have spent a lot of time sitting indoors and there is a risk people have gained weight.

‘We won’t know that [for certain] until we see people start emerging from social distancing and we start putting people on scales.

‘For someone like myself, it’s a concern, it’s a worry for me.

‘you can see the risk that people might have gained weight sitting at home limited in what exercise they can do, not going about their daily activities and going to work. Am I worried that people

‘Ordering more takeaways’

have gained weight during this time? yes, it’s not unreasonable to suppose that if people are stuck indoors they may have gained weight.’

Professor Valabhji, a consultant diabetes specialist at St Mary’s Hospital in central London, said coronavirus was an opportunity to start a healthier life.

‘One would hope that simple public health messages would land and land a little more strongly. If this is an ideal time to land a public health message – which I do believe it is – it would be eating healthily, eating a little less if you’re in the obese range and losing weight. Exercise is all part of that especially at a time when we’re no longer limited to one piece of exercise a day.’

The professor said that although adults could not change the other major risk factors for coronavirus – age and ethnicity – they could influence obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

‘ The important thing about weight loss is that it has to be sustainable – incorporating habits that will last,’ he added.

‘Slowly and gradually incorporating habits that one can maintain is important. If people are in the obese range, then eating a little bit less, eating more healthily and exercising a bit more are intuitive ways to go forward.’

Earlier this month NHS figures showed that 26 per cent of men and 29 per cent of women are obese, which is defined as having a Body Mass Index of more than 30. Around 4.8million Britons have diabetes – the majority Type 2 – and rates have doubled in 20 years in line with rising obesity.

These levels are significantly higher than many other Western countries, prompting speculation that they may partly explain why the UK’s coronavirus death rates are the worst in Europe. Professor Valabhji said: ‘Diabetes is an independent risk factor for passing away with Covid... whether that is contributing to higher death rates in this country compared with others, I don’t think I can answer that and similarly with obesity.’

Other health experts are concerned that adults and children have been snacking more since the lockdown and ordering more takeaways. Caroline Cerny of the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of 44 medical colleges, charities and campaign groups, said: ‘Several surveys have shown that we are all snacking more during lockdown and it’s likely that this will lead to weight gain.

‘This isn’t helped by food companies continuing to aggressively market their unhealthy foods to us to ensure they stay centre stage in our minds while we are a captive audience.’

Earlier this month the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, ordered health officials to trawl through the records of thousands of pandemic victims to determine whether obesity, ethnicity and gender raise the risk of death from coronavirus.

The review was commissioned after researchers at the University of Liverpool warned that obesity increased the risk of dying from the virus by 37 per cent.

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‘We are a captive audience’ URGENT PROBE INTO OBESITY LINK TO COVID DEATHS losing weight could stop you dying of corona Toll of Obesity UK: Heart deaths up for first time in 50years HIS STARK WARNING Diabetes is a risk factor for passing away with Covid You can see the risk that people might have gained weight sitting at home. It’s a worry for me. This is an ideal time to land a public health message: eat healthily, eat a little less if you’re in the obese range, and lose weight Jonathan Valabhji, NHS England national clinical director for diabetes and obesity