0000000000181496
AUTHOR
J. Francisco Merino-torres
COVID Obesity: A One-Year Narrative Review
On 11 March 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). This study focuses on a narrative review about the illness during the first year of the pandemic in relation to obesity. Databases were used to search studies published up to 8 December 2020. In total, 4430 articles and other scientific literature were found, and 24 articles were included in this one-year narrative review. The mean BMI value of severe COVID-19 patients ranged from 24.5 to 33.4 kg/m2, versus 2 for non-severe patients. Articles using the terms obesity or overweight without indicating the BMI value in these patients were common, but this is not useful, as the a…
Body Mass Index (BMI) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Living Systematic Review
On March 11, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). This review focuses on where the body mass index (BMI) value can be used as a tool to evaluate the risk of development and/or aggravation of this disease. Databases were used to search studies published up to April 18, 2020. In total, 4285 articles and other scientific literature were found, and twelve articles were included in this systematic review. The mean BMI value of severe COVID-19 patients ranged from 24.5 to 33.4 kg/m2, versus 22.0 to 24.3 kg/m2 for non-severe patients Articles using the terms obesity or overweight, without indicating the BMI value, in these patien…
The Tapeworm and Maria Callas' Diet: A Mystery Revealed
Maria Callas’ diet, also known as the tapeworm diet, is a non-food-based hazardous treatment. This study aims to justify whether Maria Callas used this treatment for weight loss. To investigate this, we searched in the ‘white’, ‘grey’, and ‘black’ literature. The historical facts about the use of tapeworm pills seem to be inconsistent and include fake news. In the case of Maria Callas, it has been confirmed by her biography and personal communications that she was diagnosed with a beef tapeworm due to eating uncooked meat. This discredits the hypothesis that she consumed tapeworm pills.