Overweight and obesity: respiratory diseases
Obesity disease and respiratory health problems
According to the WHO (World Health Organization), a person with aBMI (Body Mass Index) between 25 and 30 is overweight (overweight). Between 30 and 40, we talk about obesity (moderate to severe). Beyond 40 it is a very severe obesity, or morbid, associated with a consequent increase in respiratory diseases in these people.
Indeed, having a high BMI can cause or aggravate certain diseases, especially respiratory diseases.
The relationship between weight and respiratory function
People with a significant excess of fat mass very frequently encounterbreathing difficulties. These may be due toincreased metabolic activitydirectly related to overweight, requiring the body to make more effort to ensure breathing processes. Breathing problems can also result from compression of therib cage due to excess body fat, thus limiting the volume of air in the lungs. Sometimes, respiratory disorders can besecondary to cardiovascular disorders, themselves caused or aggravated by being overweight.
Physical manifestations of respiratory disorders in people with a high BMI
- Severe shortness of breath on exertion
- Shortness of breath at rest
- Feeling of lack of air
- Respiratory fatigue
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing during sleep, with snoring, micro-awakenings, feeling like you haven’t slept enough
- Fatigue and daytime sleepiness
Respiratory disorders and diseases linked to a high BMI
Respiratory physiological consequences
A significant fatty mass around the rib cage and the neck leads to a decrease in static compliance, that is to say the ability of the lungs to modify their volume according to the pressure exerted on them. This leads to anincrease in the work of breathingwith an increase in the respiratory rate (the person breathes less but more quickly). In addition, this also leads to an increase in the resistance of the upper respiratory tract (nose and nasal cavities, mouth, pharynx, larynx), with symptoms similar to those of sleep apnea (see paragraph below).
In addition, an excess of fat mass also leads to an increase in blood volume , also responsible for the decrease in pulmonary compliance.
In addition, obesity causes hormonal imbalances that can be responsible for inflammation of the bronchi .
All this translates at the level of the respiratory processes by:
- efficiency of the respiratory muscles
- Hasdecrease in functional residual capacity (FRC) , i.e. the volume of air contained in the lungs at the end of an expiration.
- Hasrestrictive syndrome, namely a decrease in lung capacity at the end of a maximum inspiration. In other words, it is a decrease in the volume of air contained in the lungs after an inspiration.
Relationship obesity respiratory health and obesity respiratory diseases
- Dyspnea, on exertion or at rest: excessive shortness of breath during an effort which may continue abnormally afterwards, and/or shortness of breath at rest, intermittently or not. Dyspnea is a breathing difficulty that occurs when the need for oxygen supply and carbon dioxide output exceeds what the lungs can supply. May be due to significant compression of the rib cage due to excess body fat. It causes fatigue and difficulty breathing, with the feeling of running out of air.
- goldobstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS): blockage of breathing during sleep, caused by an obstruction or narrowing of the airways. People with a BMI over 40 have a 10 to 12 times higher risk of developing OSAS. Sleep apnea causes snoring, micro-awakenings during the night, and during the day an impression of not having slept enough, fatigue with sometimes spontaneous falling asleep. People with a BMI over 40 have a 10 to 12 times higher risk of developing OSA. Sleep apnea leads to snoring, micro-awakenings during the night, and during the day a feeling of not having slept enough, fatigue with sometimes spontaneous sleep.
- Asthma : inflammation and obstruction of the bronchi, causing coughing, intermittent shortness of breath, feeling of oppression.
- Pulmonary embolism : migration of a blood clot to the lungs. Pulmonary embolism can be fatal and is a medical emergency.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) : chronic and progressive inflammation of the bronchi and lungs, leading to chronic bronchitis.
- Obesity-hypoventilation syndrome : decrease in gas exchange in the pulmonary alveoli, leading to a decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia) and an increase in the level of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia).
Weight loss: the impact of diet and physical activity on respiratory health
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.