Does Childhood Obesity Cause Asthma?

Does Childhood Obesity Cause Asthma? OurFamilyWorld

We’re talking about a new question that has been brought up in the medical community: does childhood obesity cause asthma?   In recent years the rise in childhood obesity has led to various medical issues in our children that were not a problem in decades of the past. With rising diabetes, blood pressure and now asthma diagnosis being seen in children more questions have been asked in medical circles.  So, does Childhood Obesity Cause Asthma?  A recent article on the UK’s Daily Mail Online addressed this issue and brought to mind some great points and information for us to consider.

Does Childhood Obesity Cause Asthma?

Let’s look at the facts first.  Asthma is a condition that exhibits with difficulty breathing and inability to get proper air through airways.  This can be found in young children and adults alike.  While recent studies do show more cases on the radar in obese or overweight individuals, asthma is not prejudice to size.  Thin or fat does not matter to this condition.  Anyone can be found to suffer from asthma and the difficulty it causes.

Recent studies do show that it has been found much more prominently in children in the past few decades that are notably overweight or obese.  Does the excess fat and weight on an individual cause asthma?  Or does it merely exacerbate the minor condition in some into a major issue due to the added pressure on their bodies?

Children with a higher BMI than standard for their age/height ratio have a higher rate of asthma symptoms than their healthier counterparts.  The studies done have proven that a higher BMI rate prove that obesity can increase asthma symptoms.  They do not seemingly prove that asthma can be caused by obesity. Without a clear control group of children who are tested at normal weights and obese weights to determine their before/after results it is difficult to see if a child indeed can have asthma become an issue with or without the weight gain.  Statistics of this nature are difficult to prove, but are great for making another fight against childhood obesity.

Does childhood obesity cause asthma?  Whether asthma is an existing condition already or develops with weight gain is really not the issue in this discussion.  The issue is that childhood obesity does indeed cause more health problems.  Whether it causes joint pain, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure or reflux isn’t important.  What is important is the knowledge that our children are suffering ill health due to poor nutrition, lack of exercise and a fast food mentality.  Our focus from this discussion should be to prevent childhood obesity by encouraging our children to eat healthfully.  That means eating to live, not living to eat.  It also means we encourage more fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer processed snacks, candy bars and soft drinks.  Fight for your health and the health of your children and put an end to the ongoing cycle of childhood obesity.

What do you think? Does childhood obesity cause asthma? How can we get our kids more active to prevent medical issues like this?

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24 thoughts on “Does Childhood Obesity Cause Asthma?”

  1. Interesting subject. I breathe heavier after running up a flight of stairs, maybe it’s just being out of shape and doing exercise makes you out of breath?

  2. Interesting topic. I can see why a ‘larger’ child might show symptoms (out of breath, etc.), but wonder if it is really related to asthma or just because they’re not getting enough exercise.

  3. There is no denying that childhood obesity is a growing problem and that is can contribute to other health issues. I would say there is a correlation between obesity and asthma but would be hesitant to call it a cause as many ideal weight and underweight children are also affected by asthma.

  4. Well, it sounds logical, but fortunately I did not have that problem in my family. All my kids were bean poles, but boy you should see them now… hahahahaha They’re grown with there own bean poles. LOL

  5. I need to start encouraging healthy eating and make sure my family does the same thing. It is important to watch our health to make sure we don’t have issues down the road.

  6. Also not an expert, but I had an asthmatic daughter who was underweight her entire life. Only now, as an adult is she at an average weight. I don’t that asthma causes obesity. However, I know that an out of shape person gets short of breath easily.

  7. I’m not an expert, but I also believe genetics can play a factor in asthma, too. My sister and niece developed it early on, and they were both skinny as children and teenagers.

  8. I was a skinny asthmatic kid and never outgrew it. I think it’s a genetic thing. Could it be that experts are linking obesity to asthma because obese people have difficulty in breathing because of their fats?

  9. Rebecca Swenor

    This is a great post and a great question. It is so important for parents to understand the medical problems children can have with being obese. I really don’t think it causes childhood asthma but do think it can cause the symptoms to be worse. I have always been told that asthma was hereditary. Thanks for sharing.

  10. What an interesting read! I never really thought about the two being linked together since asthma and obesity don’t run in my family.

  11. sharon phillips

    Interesting topic to read. I had really never thought that the obesity and asthma had been linked together. Obesity is a bad thing yet I wonder if it really causes all these kinds of issues. So much is said anymore.

  12. These was an interesting read. I’d never really thought about the connection but it does make sense! I try to keep my kids active to help them stay healthy!

  13. I remember my son having asthma that he was lucky enough to grow out of. It would be interesting to read up on some scientific studies on asthma’s relationship with obesity.

  14. Where did they get the study children statistics from? Did they use them from inner cities where air pollution is rampant or from the suburbs where air is a bit better or from a place where there is little to no air pollution. Obesity does not help but I rather do not think it has anything to do with the rate of children with asthma.

  15. For me this answer is like which came first, the chicken or the egg! I do think having unhealthy weight for whatever reason at an early age would certainly not help someone’s breathing!

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