One day, you notice you have gained weight and find yourself breathless or wheezing often, or you have a history of asthma and you have visited an asthma doctor but your episodes recur more frequently than before. Your symptoms are something you can’t control; go ahead, you can thank obesity for your condition. Numerous studies have shown it is true; there is an inexplicable link between obesity and Asthma.

What the experts are saying

It can’t be stated enough and said out loud; weight gain is the culprit for asthma. A recent study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology, discovered that children who are obese or overweight are far more likely to develop asthma- sometimes with acute symptoms.

How Asthma affects Obesity

Research indicates that the more weight a person carries around the greater the chances are that he may develop Asthma. Why? It has already been established that an obese person with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher is 40% more likely to develop asthma sooner than later. It is understood that an obese people takes smaller breaths due to under expanded, narrow lungs that cause irritation. It is also widely accepted that when the airways swell and suffer an inflammation, asthma attack occurs. Obesity is the trigger, it can deteriorate symptoms and make the condition difficult to handle.

Obesity and medication

Carrying around excessive weight hampers the efficacy of your asthma medication. Why? Certain medications that contain corticosteroids are less likely to be effective on patients with obesity as their cells don’t respond. Thus unable to reduce inflammation and other symptoms.

Losing weight is your best bet

People who suffer from obesity have a high level of molecules that are inflammatory by nature; typically Asthma is distinguished by the inflamed airways that trigger those attacks. As obesity increases these attacks they become even more difficult to control and therein lies the risk.

Putting yourself on a goal toward weight loss is the first step toward better health. Research has proven that people who lose weight show a remarkable improvement in their asthmatic symptoms. While other triggers such as smoking and allergies can’t be ignored, more and more doctors are advising their patients to lose weight to better manage their Asthma.