UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hired personal trainer Harry Jameson to lose weight, the BBC reports, after admitting that he was "too fat" when he caught coronavirus.
Johnson was admitted to hospital with the virus in April and after recovering, related that it was "touch and go" at times, even though he escaped needing to be put on a ventilator. Now he says that he has "been steadily building up my fitness" and has lost around 15 pounds already.
Johnson, who has called himself a "libertarian" in the past, has criticized high taxes on foods high in salt, fat, or sugar, but by July it was clear that he was changing his stance, saying that while he wasn't one for "nannying," people in the UK needed to lose weight in order to be more resilient against the coronavirus epidemic.
A new study published today has confirmed what previous studies have already discovered - that obesity significantly raises the likelihood of dying from Covid-19. Those classified as obese are 74% more likely to be admitted to an ICU to treat coronavirus-related complications, and 50% more likely to die of the virus.
The UK government now plans to launch a new drive to tackle the problem, with one step to be taken being a bank on advertisements for junk food on television before 9 pm.