“I’ve brought together a few friends to help put Huntington on a diet,” Dr. David Buchin, Director of Bariatric Surgery at Huntington Hospital, said at a press conference.
He cited a study from Northwell Health, the largest health care provider in the state, that said 42% of hospital patients are obese.
Several other studies nationwide have suggested a link between obesity and greater mortality risk from COVID-19. Overseas, Britain is reportedly working on a plan that would label obese Brits as “at-risk” citizens alongside the elderly.
Coronavirus in New York: The state continues to face the impact from the pandemic
“We have to not let this take control over us,” Dr. William Spencer, chair of the Suffolk County Health Committee, said at the press conference. “We’re bringing attention to this issue because the quality of our health is more important than ever.”
