Greg Bell: The simple health choices that help Utahns fight COVID-19 – Deseret News

Utah has fared comparatively well in the coronavirus pandemic, with far fewer deaths per capita than the world generally and the U.S. The worldwide death rate from COVID-19 is 6.7%. The U.S. mortality rate is 6%. Utahs is just 1%, and our proportionate number of cases is far less than most other places.

A common denominator in pandemic deaths throughout the world is underlying conditions. Utah is no exception. Most mornings, I listen to the situation report from the State Incident Command Center announcing new cases, deaths, tests, positive tests and other data for the prior day. Rare is the death which is not attributed to age and/or underlying causes. It is believed that nationally three-fourths of mortalities had underlying conditions.

There are many things about the pandemic we dont understand. However, we do know that if you develop a serious case of COVID-19, your preexisting health status significantly influences whether youll need to be hospitalized or not, and even whether you will live or die.

Most of Utahs deaths will probably be shown to have occurred among people over the age of 60 and/or those with underlying medical conditions such as chronic lung disease, heart conditions, hypertension (high blood pressures), diabetes, severe obesity and those who smoke or have smoked or are immunocompromised. Some of these conditions cannot be reversed. But, our lifestyle choices largely determine whether we acquire certain underlying conditions.

A recent Deseret News article by Ashley Imlay found that while data have not been released on Utahns who perish from the disease, among those with preexisting serious health conditions, there are disproportionately high rates of hospitalizations:

Some medical conditions have little to do with lifestyle. But smoking is a choice. And conditions like hypertension, diabetes and obesity often reflect lifestyle and health choices we make over time, although genetic influences contribute to many such conditions.

But the simple takeaway is that eating the average American diet and getting little exercise have serious health consequences. COVID-19 highlights that our cumulative poor health choices render us more vulnerable to it and to many other diseases and conditions, including premature death, cancer and heart disease. Obesity often brings premature diabetes, hypertension, premature joint replacement, immobility, reliance on supplemental oxygen, sleep disorders and a greater tendency to other complaints; it can also shorten ones longevity by three to 10 years.

Its no mystery that Americans have increased in weight over the last 20 to 30 years because of a shift in the American diet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the United States from 19992000 through 20172018, the prevalence of obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4%, and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer that are some of the leading causes of preventable, premature death.

Americans eat on average 500 more calories per day than 30 years ago. We also eat an average of 350 calories per day of added sugar, chiefly from soft drinks and breakfast cereals. Added sugar serves no nutritional need. Americans consume a great deal of highly processed carbohydrates, which our bodies easily and swiftly convert to sugar in the blood stream. Because sugar seems to always bring us back for more and because our typical diet of highly processed carbohydrate foods doesnt sate our hunger for long, we tend to eat more and gain weight. This perilous increase in the number of calories consumed meshes with our modern proclivity to drive everywhere instead of to walk or bike. As recently as the 1980s, Americans ate 20% fewer calories per day on average.

In 2014, the Utah Hospital Association helped create Get Healthy Utah to encourage all Utahns to enjoy better health by eating a healthy diet and pursuing an active lifestyle. Making simple, healthier choices in eating and exercising allows us to enjoy life more and can help us avoid or cope with serious disease like COVID-19 far better than otherwise.

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Greg Bell: The simple health choices that help Utahns fight COVID-19 - Deseret News