Obesity can be an indicator of health, but I'd be careful about drawing the conclusion that obese people are dying at higher rates simply due to their weight.

Being physically active looks to be more important than losing weight: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-022-01209-w

When it comes to Covid, I'd bet on a physically active obese person having a better chance at survival over healthier looking people who aren't active, smoke, etc.