Another reason to battle bulging love handles: Not only is abdominal obesity associated with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and other health problems collectively known as “metabolic syndrome,” a new study indicates that a high waist circumference is strongly associated with decreased lung function.
Paris-based researchers analyzed data from more than 120,000 people and published the results this month in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The researchers adjusted for age, sex, BMI [body mass index], smoking history, alcohol consumption, exercise and cardiovascular history. Natalie Leone, M.D., of French National Institute for Health and Medical Research wrote: "We found a positive independent relationship between lung function impairment and metabolic syndrome due mainly to abdominal obesity.” They defined abdominal obesity as having a waist circumference greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.
