The Link Between Asthma and Obesity

Children with asthma may be more likely to become obese, according to a new study.

In fact, a new study found that children with asthma were 51 percent more likely than children without asthma to become obese.

"Asthma and obesity often occur together in children, but it is unclear whether children with asthma are at higher risk for onset of obesity or whether obese children develop asthma, or both," said lead study author Dr. Zhanghua Chen, postdoctoral research associate of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, in a news release." Our findings add to the literature that early-life asthma history may lead to increased risk of childhood obesity."

The researchers behind this study looked at the health records of 2,171 children in southern California. Children were not obese when they enrolled in the study. Researchers followed the children’s height, weight and asthma status for 10 years.

Limits of the study include relying on parents to report asthma diagnosis, limited information about the children’s amount of exercise and no information about their diet.

Talk to your child's doctor about how to help your child manage their asthma and maintain a healthy weight.

This study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The Southern California Environmental Sciences Center, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Hastings Foundation funded this research. The study authors disclosed no potential conflicts of interest.