Extreme obesity (BMI over 40) is said to be raising people’s chances of getting swine flu, or the dreaded A(H1N1) virus.

A study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at ten victim of swine flu. The study found out that three of the ten died, and two of the ten were obese (BMI between 30 to 40). Also, seven of the ten swine flu cases were extremely obese (their BMI is over 40), which accounts for two of the three reported deaths.

A study in California also found out that obesity can be a risk factor to swine flu complications. It is not yet know what are the connections between obesity and swine flu as the study was not commissioned to find out the cause. Obese persons with swine flu need also to be given higher dosage of Tamiflu.

Obesity is also more often connected to a number of medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and various cancers.