Want to prevent asthma in your future child? Lose weight!
Yet another reason to lose weight if you are obese: obese women are more likely to have children with asthma.
A study from the Netherlands following 4,000 children from before birth to eight years of age. In the children with a least one parent with asthma, an obese mother increased the risk of asthma by 65 percent by age eight!
What is the link? Obesity is a metabolic state with increased inflammation throughout the body. Excess fat produces inflammatory compounds called cytokines and reduces the effectiveness of natural anti-inflammatory cytokines. In previous studies, cytokines have been proven to have a role in asthma development.
Obesity in pregnancy is also known to increase the risk for birth defects such as spina bifida, cardiovascular defects, cleft lip and palate, limb deformities, and hydrocephaly (abnormal build up of the fluid around the brain.)
So if you are of child bearing age, it essential to maintain a healthy weight as determined by your physician or health care provider. If you are pregnant already, talk with your physician about what healthy weight range should be maintained as losing weight during pregnancy is not advised in most cases.
References:
1) Presented at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society, May 19, 2009 via www.healthcentral.com
2) Stothard, KJ. Journal of the American Medical Association, Feb. 11, 2009, vol 301: pp 636-650.
