Individuals with obesity face a 70% higher risk of hospitalization or death from an infectious disease, while those with severe obesity experience a tripled risk, according to new research. The findings, published February 10, 2026, highlight a critical link between weight and susceptibility to serious illness, and underscore the importance of addressing obesity as a public health priority.
Researchers warn that this trend is likely to worsen in the coming decades if obesity rates continue to climb. Obesity is already known to significantly increase the risk of severe outcomes from infections like influenza, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and even COVID-19.
The new study, appearing in the medical journal The Lancet, analyzed global data encompassing more than 540,000 individuals, including over 470,000 adults from the “Biobank” database in the United Kingdom.
Using risk estimates, the researchers determined that obesity was linked to one in ten deaths from infection worldwide in 2023. The study’s findings could inform public health interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of infectious diseases.
The probability of death varied across countries, but approximately one in six deaths in the United Kingdom and one in four deaths in the United States were associated with this connection.
obesity may have been a contributing factor in approximately 600,000 deaths from 5.4 million deaths due to infectious diseases in 2023, representing 10.8%, the study indicates.
In the United Kingdom, 7,300 deaths linked to obesity occurred out of a total of 42,000 deaths that year, accounting for 17.4%.
