Over 4,000 children aged 2 to 19, participated in a large survey about childhood health, which found a significant relationship between obesity and allergic reactions. Most results showed allergic reactions to eggs, peanuts and other common allergens.
The study shows that overweight and obese children were over 50 percent more likely to be allergic to milk than those of normal weight. On the whole, the obese and overweight children were 25 percent more likely to have more than one food allergy.
Dr. Cindy M. Visness, an epidemiologist with Rho Inc., a company that provides research and statistical services for clinical trials said, “While there’s nothing conclusive about our findings…this is one more motivation to try to prevent obesity in children.”
What’s more, the researchers also found a connection between obesity and levels of C-reactive protein, a symbol of inflammation, which advocates that systematic inflammation may also play a role to develop allergies.
The author admitted that their study published in the May issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, does not prove that being overweight and obese will cause allergies, and there are other possibilities that explain this connection.
Reference: The New York Times
