One Major Health Risk of Youth Obesity
One of the primary reasons received in truancy courts around the country is asthma and it is impacting the African American community in disparate proportions. As a community I have noticed the uptick over the last twenty years of overweight and obese school age children and a lack of activity at playgrounds and recreation centers. Even when I see them there rarely are they actively participating as most are on the sidelines playing with their cell phones. This is much different than may experience growing up. The playground was filled with kids, basketballs bouncing, girls chanting their jump rope cadences, crack of the baseball bat and even a fight or two. (without any subsequent gunfire). Interestingly enough we were FIT and in shape. We were healthy.
I can only remember one of my friends having asthma and although we must also consider the environmental factors, we can not lay it all on that. Our kids are over weight and need to move more, eat better food, and participate in organized activities that will improve their health. Below is just one of the risk of allowing and supporting bad eating habits combined with a lack of activity. It is a deadly combination for anyone but particularly for children as this is the time for them to build muscle and bone via exercise and activity. It is also the time for them to form good habits that lead to a healthy lifestyle. Get them up and get them moving and combat the influence of McDonald's, Microsoft and MTV.
Chit Chat Won't Burn Fat and neither will texting.
Obesity and Asthma: Determining the True Link
The idea that obesity and asthma may be linked is a fairly new one, so there isn't a whole lot of data to go on, explains Beth A. Miller, MD, associate professor at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and director of the UK HealthCare Asthma, Allergy and Sinus Clinic in Lexington.
The association between the two conditions can be striking — several studies have shown that obese children and teenagers were twice as likely to have asthma as children at a healthier body weight. Another study of more than 1,000 people found that obese adults with asthma are almost five times more likely than non-obese asthmatics to be hospitalized due to asthma.
"There are studies that suggest that physiologically, obesity can cause asthma," says Dr. Miller. "We think it's because in obese people their lungs are under-expanded, therefore they take smaller breaths ... [making] their lung airways … more narrow" and prone to irritation.
It has been long recognized that airway swelling and inflammation help to trigger asthma attacks. Obesity, as defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, and asthma are also thought to be linked by inflammation.
Researchers have "found that [obese] asthmatics ... have more chronic low-grade systemic inflammation," says Miller, meaning that they suffer from inflammation that affects the whole body. "Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease. Because obese patients have this inflammation … obese patients [may be] more likely to be asthmatic."
The Impact of Obesity on Asthma
Based on this initial research, it appears there is a link between obesity and asthma — one that can be supported by what experts already know about each individual disease. So what does this mean for you and your health?
Obesity can worsen asthma symptoms and make them more difficult manage. Simply being obese may put you at increased risk of developing asthma.
In addition to being hospitalized more frequently due to their asthma, obese asthmatics have also been found to experience a poorer quality of life than asthmatics that aren't obese.
Asthma, Obesity, and Other Conditions
Miller also points out that it's important not to forget about all the indirect ways that asthma and obesity may be linked.
Obese people, for instance, are also more likely to experience acid reflux, which can both trigger and mimic asthma symptoms, Miller says. Sleep apnea, a condition that leads to difficulty breathing and decreased oxygen levels at night, is also common among obese people, and it is associated with asthma-like symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath as well.
Will It Help to Lose Weight?
Weight loss is an important step toward better health for anyone who is overweight or obese, but perhaps even more so for those with asthma. Research shows that obese people with asthma who lose weight may experience an improvement in their asthma symptoms.
Weight loss would certainly be a recommended part of any asthma treatment plan for someone who is obese, particularly if he has poorly controlled asthma requiring frequent hospitalizations, notes Miller. While it’s critical to consider other factors, such as smoking and allergies, that also need to be managed, obesity shouldn't be overlooked in asthma management.
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