After tracking over two thousand children in 13 communites since 2001, a new study has found that childhood asthma may be linked to obesity in later life.

 

Released today, the research which was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that within ten years of diagnosis 50 percent of children will likely become obese. 

 

"We found that children with a diagnosis of asthma at cohort entry were at 51% increased risk of developing obesity during childhood and adolescence compared to children without asthma." 

 

 

Why?

 

Well, as the study found, asthmatics are less likely to exercise due to their inability to breathe properly.

 

However, it's not all bad news. 

 

The study found that children who use reliever inhalers to control asthma attacks were 43 percent less likely to develop obesity.

 

 

"Early diagnosis and treatment of asthma may help prevent the childhood obesity epidemic," Senior author Professor Frank Gilliland said. 

 

"Part of the problem may be a vicious cycle where asthma and obesity negatively affect each other."

 

The research involved analysing the medical records of 2,171 children aged five to seven-year-olds who were not obese when they joined the study.

 

Of these children, 13.5 percent had asthma; and after ten years a sixth had become obese.

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