Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
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Asthma and overweight/obesity prevalence are both increasing worldwide. Overweight/obesity has been suggested as a risk factor for developing asthma. The aim of this review is to present and evaluate recent publications that help answer the question: "Is increased body weight (at least overweight status) related to asthma in children?" A systematic review of epidemiologic literature was carried out using the MEDLINE database. ⋯ Beyond energy control, the role of diet as a possible inflammatory stimulus warrants further investigation. Limited data seem to favor the promotion of breastfeeding in attenuating the overweight/obesity-asthma relationship. Finally, future research should include weight intervention studies assessing various measures of body fat in relation to well-defined asthma outcomes.