Swine Flu Linked to Obesity

Research in California shows that obesity may be on par with pregnancy as a risk factor for developing complications from swine flu. A report published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Associations (JAMA) analyzed data from California residents infected with swine flu, and found a quarter of people hospitalized were morbidly obese. Currently, only five percent of the population is considered morbidly obese, and 29 percent are considered obese. Combined, they account for 58 percent of swine flu hospitalizations. The JAMA study examined 1,088 swine-flu cases in California, from the outbreak’s beginning through August 11.