The Link Between Obesity and Asthma

Obesity is a catastrophic health problem worldwide. In 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity. Adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, and adolescent obesity has quadrupled. In 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 years and older) were overweight, where 890 million of these were obese. 37 million children under the age of 5 were overweight. And over 390 million children and adolescents aged between 5–19 were overweight, where 160 million of them were obese.

The current definition of obesity is based on the Body Mass Index or BMI. If you have a BMI of 25 or over you are said to be overweight. If your BMI is over 30 then you are deemed to be obese. 

Obesity is now recognised as a major risk factor for asthma: several longitudinal epidemiological studies show that obesity or increased adiposity often precedes incident asthma. Obesity is also associated with increased asthma severity.

Watch this EUFOREA News episode on ‘The Link Between Obesity and Asthma’ with Prof. Vibeke Backer (from Copenhagen), Chief Respiratory Physician, EUFOREA Board Member and Asthma Expert Panel Chair.