Young girls who become obese or severely overweight between the ages of 6 and 11 have a sevenfold risk of developing asthma, University of Arizona researchers have found.

688 children were involved in the study. Data on body mass index (BMI) and incidence of asthma was collected from children who participated in the Tucson Children’s Respiratory Study.

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Researchers found that at the age of six BMI was not associated with the prevalence of wheezing. But obese girls at age 11 were more likely to have wheezing. This was not the case for boys.

In addition, peak flow variability and bronchodilator responsiveness were "significantly more likely to be increased" among girls who became obese and overweight between ages 6 and 11 years.

e marked increases in obesity observed during the last 20 years may in part be causing the increase in asthma prevalence observed concomitantly," Dr. Martinez and colleagues propose. They advise that "specific interventions aimed at preventing excessive weight gain during school years, especially in girls, may thus be a valuable tool in preventing asthma-related morbidity during adolescence."

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