In the past a few small studies found an association between obesity and asthma severity. Now, though, the link has been confirmed in a large study from the Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta. Researchers there collected data on 3,059 men and women with asthma from the National Asthma Survey. This study separated these people into three groups — non-overweight (i.e. body mass index below 25)… overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9)… and obese (BMI 30 and over). Working with such a large data bank enabled the study team to adjust for other factors such as gender, race and income in order to isolate the role of obesity.
The findings were not good for the obese group. Compared with those who were not overweight, the obese were 66% more likely to have continuous asthma symptoms, 47% less likely to be in remission, 52% more likely to have severe persistent asthma (extreme symptoms as opposed to daily, annoying symptoms) and 36% more likely to miss work more than two days per year because of their asthma. They also had more visits to the ER and used more medications to control their asthma.
The study found that people in the overweight but not obese category also had more severe asthma symptoms than those of normal weight and they were a little less likely to achieve asthma remission. But, while of concern, these findings were not statistically significant.
I spoke with the study’s lead author, Brian Taylor, MD, pulmonary fellow and researcher at Emory University School of Medicine, about his findings. He says that one theory concerning the pronounced impact of obesity on asthma symptoms concerns leptin, a hormone produced in fat cells that has been shown in animal studies to play a role in promoting inflammation in the airways. Although this has not yet been proven to be the case in humans, Dr. Taylor is studying that issue now. Another theory concerning weight and asthma is that obesity impacts how the lungs operate. Dr. Taylor says it appears that excess weight may have a mechanical effect on the small muscles in the airway, making lungs more prone to obstruction, for instance, and thereby impacting how much they can expand.
However, Dr. Taylor says the bottom line is clear for people with asthma: The closer you can get to normal weight, the better off you are. Any pounds you can lose will help you gain more control over your asthma.

Source(s): ??Brian Taylor, MD, pulmonary fellow and researcher, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta.

Where is that service honor now? He was like you said Michelle T. a hypocrite. He is a racist. This is the man I have been married to for 35 years. I would have never though he was a racist. I don’t know this man. He is obsessed with the fact that we have a black President. He seems to truly believe that this will be the downfall of the white race in America.

I asked him what his black friends would say if they heard him. He said that he always treated them with respect. I agreed but when i asked him why he felt this way, he just shrugged and left the room.

He reads hate mail and watches thinly veiled racist shows that he would have turned off with vocal disdain before. Can having a black man as President of the United States of America really be this threatening to white men?

I wonder if other women have noticed a change in their husbands regardless of their race or color or religion as a result of Obama becoming President.

Dana

He thinks he is raising his self image by tearing down this black man. I have never been interested in any romantic relationship with a man that was not white. But I tell you when i look at what I have and the possibilities I seriously wonder what I have missed. At 67 years old I will never find out. I have changed my tune to my grandchildren. I made it perfectly clear that I will support any man or woman they select as a mate regardless of their color or race.

White men have had it too good for too long. They could marry who they wished. Frolic on television, in the movies with whatever race of woman they wanted all the while making it a national crime for a white woman to experience the same thing in either medium or state.

If white men are so insecure, they must know something about what white women are missing that we don’t. Damnit that I am just too old to find out. My advice to young, middle aged, and daring old white women is to EXPERIMENT. Give the man a dance, you can throw him back as easily as you can a white man if he is not to your liking. Hey, you might just land the next President.

I’ll wager there are a lot of misled white and other women in Hawaii and elsewhere who turned down the romantic solicitations of President Obama because of the color of his skin who are now just sorry. Well your lost is Michelle Obama’s gain. What a beautiful family they produced.

Okay white girls, get set, now go get that picture of Your President and hang it over your bed. Be PATRIOTIC, if it kills that racist husband or boyfriend of yours. I did.

Michelle T.

Lara