Asthma
Asthma and obesity have risen in recent years and asthma is more common in obese people, as such studies have looked at whether there is a biological connection between them.
Scientists have long suspected an association between overweight and asthma to be likely. The common assumption is that weight gain occurs because many asthmatic patients avoid exercise since physical activity can trigger their symptoms.
The link between childhood obesity and asthma is also being examined. The increase in childhood asthma may be explained by the rise in obesity, a US study has suggested. Rates of both have shot up dramatically in recent decades in the West.
The number of youngsters in the UK considered fat or obese has almost doubled in the last decade. Over 5m people are currently being treated for asthma, compared to 3.4m in 1999. The researchers found the fattest children were 77% more likely to have asthma symptoms.
They suggest increased weight might lead to inflammation in the respiratory tract, which could be the key factor in inducing asthma. The way weight affects the lungs could also affect the airways, leading to a child developing asthma symptoms.
The mechanical impact of the weight on the lungs could compromise the airways, causing increased responsiveness which is a hallmark of asthma, the researchers add.
The use of a VLCD, resulting in weight loss has been shown (like many obesity rleated conditions) to greatly reduce the symptoms of obesity related asthma and very ofter a reduction in the medications used to control it.