World-renowned Hungarian professor: “we eat ourselves to death”

World-renowned Hungarian professor Albert-László Barabási thinks that due to the vaccines, we can fight the pandemic. However, people who refuse to take the vaccine play an essential part in how the pandemic will affect life. He also talked about how the quality and quantity of food affects health.

In an interview with hvg.hu, the physicist and network researcher said that “it is a contradictory situation that there is every tool to fight against the pandemic, yet we are facing a new wave, the wave of those who refuse the vaccine”. He brought up very vivid examples. For example, in Boston, where 83% of people got vaccinated, there is no fourth wave of coronavirus, while in Tennessee, where only 20% of the residents took the jab, hospitals are full. “Vaccinated people can be infected because of those who do not get the vaccine. It should be considered that a large percentage of society is afraid of the vaccine for various reasons. It is alright to be afraid, but there is a social obligation as well, so if I do not take the vaccine, I am not only hurting myself but also damage my environment.”-he said. Then he went on by adding

“I would have maintained the vaccination certificate card for some time to come, thus affecting the masses, who are insecure yet, willing to accept the vaccine for their own convenience.”

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The researcher also said that he thinks of Covid-19 as a non-recurring occasion for science. He believes that this pandemic was researched and analysed from the very beginning, and thus people will be more prepared if another pandemic hits.

He also talked about medicine for Covid-19. He said that looking for a new drug cannot be done if a solution has to be found within months. New products are tested many times until they are authorised, and it can take a decade. The only option would be to find an already used medicine and find out that it works against the virus.

But it is not solely the virus that affects health. Hungary is the most obese country in Europe and the fourth most obese country in the world.

Hungarians’ obesity is getting worse?

“The cause of most deaths – heart disease, coronary heart disease and diabetes – comes from malnutrition and far exceeds the harm already caused by smoking. We are essentially eating ourselves to death, not only in quantity but also in quality. Hungary’s astonishingly high mortality rate during the coronavirus is also due to this, and for the most part, obese individuals with metabolic syndrome got taken away by the pandemic.”

Portfolio highlighted a few important segments of the interview, such as a research conducted in the United States of America. A study showed that health care services for obesity and its consequences cost three times as much as feeding the entire country. 70% of the calorie intake comes from ultra-processed products.

“Obesity cannot be fought if the food industry sells unhealthy foods. The whole industry has gone into a deadly price race that is not about health. Obesity usually affects the lower social strata, especially those who do not have access to healthy food, partially because of price and partially because of availability. It is the government’s responsibility to confront the industry, draw the line and push back the consumption of ultra-processed food with the available tools, like in the case of cigarettes, with taxes and regulations.” – the professor elaborated.

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