Children who suffer allergic diseases are three times more likely to become overweight or obese, a recent study shows. 

According to the study led by professor Bang Kyung-sook at Seoul National University’s College of Nursing, children diagnosed with either atopic dermatitis, allergy rhinitis or asthma were 2.78 times more likely to be overweight or obese, compared to children with none of those diseases. 

The research team said that the result could be the result of different eating habits, since diet patterns linked to asthma have similarities to those that causes obesity.
Mast cells, which accumulate in the body as a known effector of obesity, are also known to cause reactions that lead to asthma.

“Not only that, a child with allergic diseases including asthma is relatively inactive and such an activity pattern can increase the chances of becoming overweight,” it said in the study.

The study is based on the national nutrition survey, conducted in 2013-2014 on a total of 591 children aged 3-5 and their parents.
 
By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)