Obese Kids More Likely to Have Asthma, With Worse Symptoms

Overweight and obese kids are more likely to struggle with asthma than kids of normal weight, according to a new review of more than 623,000 children. Researchers found that children carrying extra weight are between 1.16 to 1.37 times more likely to develop asthma than normal-weight kids, with the risk growing as their body-mass index -- a measure of body fat encompassing height and weight -- increases. Obese children also experience more frequent and severe episodes of asthma, requiring more medical attention and drug therapy, found the study in the Aug. 7 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_139536.html