Can losing weight treat ‘long COVID’? UAE experts say yes

Can losing weight treat ‘long COVID’? UAE experts say yes

Doctors across the United Arab Emirates say overweight and obese people who have had COVID-19 can help reduce severe post-virus symptoms by losing weight.

Obesity - an established major risk factor in the development of severe infection or death from COVID-19 infection- also appears to significantly increase the risk of developing long-term complications from the disease, a syndrome often referred to as 'long COVID,' according to several studies.

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In one, carried out by Cleveland Clinic's Bariatric & Metabolic Institute, the study's lead author and director of the institute, Ali Aminian said: "To our knowledge, this study suggests that patients with moderate to severe obesity are at a greater risk of developing long-term complications of COVID-19 beyond the acute phase."

The findings have led to British scientists at Glasgow University launching a trial to investigate whether losing weight can ease symptoms of the poorly understood condition in overweight and obese people.

Researchers will recruit 200 Britons who have survived COVID-19 but are debilitated by lingering symptoms months later. Half will be put on strict 850 calorie soup and shake diets, and the rest will carry on with their normal meals and attend 'long COVID' clinics.

The groups' symptoms, weight