Doctors have long warned the public that obesity is linked to comorbidities like heart disease, adult onset diabetes and sleep apnea. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Southern California discovered another obesity-related health problem for children—asthma.
The researchers reviewed the health records of 623,358 children and found that overweight and obese children were about 1.5 times more likely to develop asthma than children at a healthy body-mass index (BMI). The overweight and obese children with asthma also experienced more severe asthma symptoms, had to visit the doctor more frequently, and had to take more medicine.
The Kaiser Permanente Southern California study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, also stated that asthma affects one in 10 kids in the U.S. and the amount of children with asthma has more than doubled in the past 30 years. If your child has asthma, it’s important that they adhere to their treatment plan. This study also reveals another reason to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and to encourage your children to stay active and choose healthy foods.