Childrens Food Allergies Linked to Obesity

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From Denny: A new children’s health study has found that food allergies may be linked to obesity. This was a larger study involving over 4,000 children from the ages of 2 – 19.

What did researchers find?

Being overweight or obese was strongly linked to allergic reactions to foods such as peanuts, eggs, (cow’s) milk and other common allergens. They also discovered that overweight or obese children were 25% more likely to have allergic reactions to at least one food, maybe more. In the study, 50% of the overweight or obese children were more allergic to milk than children of normal weight.

Inflammation plays a role in allergies

Researchers also found levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, with an association of being overweight. What this suggests is that systemic inflammation might also play a role in developing allergies.

Study’s author weighs in

The study’s lead author is Dr. Cindy M. Visness who is an epidemiologist with Rho, Inc. Rho, Inc. is involved in clinical trials as a provider for research and statistical services. “While there’s nothing conclusive about our findings, this is one more motivation to try to prevent obesity in children.”

Summary

This study doesn’t prove that obesity actually causes allergies. Other explanations for the association of obesity and allergies are possible such as inflammation. Inflammation occurs from being overweight.

What it does strongly suggest is that overweight children would have fewer allergic reactions to food by lowering their weight. This finding warrants more study about obesity and food allergies. Meanwhile, this is good information for parents overseeing their children’s nutrition.

This study was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, May 2009.


Written by Denny Lyon