Swine Flu Kills Obese People Disproportionately 661
Philip K Dickhead writes "Bloomberg is reporting that the World Health Organization discovered a single, surprising characteristic that's emerged among swine flu victims who become severely ill: They are all fat. Infected people with a body mass index greater than 40 suffer respiratory complications that are harder to treat and can be fatal. The virus appears to be on a collision course with the obesity epidemic. WHO officials are gathering statistics to confirm and understand this development. 'It's very likely that if we went back retrospectively and looked at people who did poorly during seasonal flu, what would shake out is that obesity would be one of the risks.' Fat cells secrete chemicals that cause chronic, low-level inflammation that can hamper the body's immune response and narrow the airways, says Tim Armstrong, a doctor working in the WHO's chronic diseases department in Geneva."
Shit (Score:0, Funny)
This is just wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
"Morbid obesity is one of the most common findings turning up in severely ill patients," said Nikki Shindo, who is leading the investigation of swine flu patients at the WHO in Geneva. "It's a huge problem."
That is just wrong.
Re:Dammit, BMI != fat in all cases (Score:3, Funny)
BMI is a bogus and misleading measure. Try percent body fat instead.
So are you telling us that you are just big boned?
Re:Finally!! A Cure For Obesity!! (Score:5, Funny)
Pig flu affects fat persons.. I didn't see that one coming!
Re:This is just wrong... (Score:4, Funny)
Sounds like you got the skinny on the whole situation.
The story title is wrong ... (Score:5, Funny)
It isn't killing them disproportionally - it's killing them in direct relationship to their proportions :-)
Karma? (Score:3, Funny)
I previously believed Swine Flu was created by pigs to get revenge for people eating too much bacon. Now it's confirmed. Can I have a Nobel Prize now?
It's called "swine flu" for a reason ... (Score:2, Funny)
It kills people who eat like pigs.
someone had to say it... (Score:2, Funny)
waste : hip (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Cost of subsidies (Score:5, Funny)
How dare you question America? Also, while I'm at it, corn is by far the most efficient source of ethanol, unlike sugar cane, which is for communists.
Re:Dammit, BMI != fat in all cases (Score:4, Funny)
You mean waist [reference.com].
Waste to intake ratio might actually be be another way to chart it. We'd have to do it, to find out. ;)
Re:Darwinism is Finally Back! (Score:4, Funny)
I agree. We've used science to keep people alive that just should have died off a long time ago. People like Stephen Hawking, for instance. What a drag on the gene pool he's been.
Genius! (Score:5, Funny)
Clearly this is a terrorist act targeting Americans!
Super Lame!! (Score:4, Funny)
My only chance is to filter my air through this huge pile of empty pie wrappers!
Re:It's called "swine flu" for a reason ... (Score:3, Funny)
By the same token, I found the subject/headline a bit ironic. It sounds to me like the swine flu kills obese people proportionally. The article even discusses approximately what the proportions are, and about what proportions you have to have to qualify (usually due to pro-portioning at the buffet...)
Re:waste : hip (Score:1, Funny)
AKA Courics/Jobs
Re:Dammit, BMI != fat in all cases (Score:3, Funny)
On the upside... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Well... yeh. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Well... yeh. (Score:4, Funny)
Does anyone else find it kind of suspicious that a killer orca suggests people go swimming?
Re:The story title is wrong ... (Score:2, Funny)
It takes no more 5 minutes to do 30 pushups and 60 crunches -
Damn...it's taken me over 40 years to manage that many!