The results from a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology demonstrated that there were greater incidences of allergies, particularly to food, in children and obese teenagers.
"We found a positive association between obesity and allergies. While the results from this study are interesting, they do not prove that obesity causes allergies. More research is needed to further investigate this potential link," stated Dr. Darryl Zeldin, an author of the study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
4,111 children aged 2 to 19 participated in the study, where levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody that triggers immune responses, and their body mass indexes were measured. Those who were considered obese or overweight had higher levels of IgE than average.