Obesity and excess belly fat can be brought on by daily stresses, like pressure at work or prolonged financial struggles, experts say. Read the full story

Weight gain could be linked to lack of sleep, according to a new study.  People under 40 who regularly get an average of five hours of sleep or less a night are at increased risk of accumulating abdominal fat. Read the full story

Asthma is likely to be a risk of obesity, a new study shows. Watch this week’s Weight Loss Surgery News to find out more. Video in article below. Read the full story

Tune into the March 27, 2009, edition of WLS News, to learn how excess abdominal fat can affect fertility in women, and how new scientific developments may lead to a magic bullet to treat obesity. We’ll also explore the harm that obesity can cause children as young as three years old, as well as how excess weight and related co-morbidities can speed the onset of dementia.

Plus we’ll find out whether an innovative gene therapy might provide a new treatment option for adults who struggle with their weight. And reporter Yvonne McCarthy, host of WLS Journeys, will highlight a wonderful website devoted to helping women practice better self-care. Click the player below to see this week’s newscast!

Organizations mentioned in this week’s news:

• The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
• Dr. Doreen Moser, D.O., F.A.C.O.G. (Fertility Specialist)
• Centers for Disease Control
• The Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami
• Sarah E. Messiah, Ph.D.
• The University of California at Berkeley Nutritional Science & Toxicology Laboratory
• First Ourselves (self-care for women)
• Bariatric Girl (Yvonne McCarthy’s WLS support site)
• University of California-San Francisco Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease
• Ohio State University Medical Center
• FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
• Bariatric Advantage (nutritional supplements)

New Study Links Abdominal Fat With Lung Function

A new study from France published earlier this month in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has linked waist circumference with lung function – the larger around a person’s waist is, the less functional their lungs are likely to be.

The study was conducted on 120,000 smokers who came from different social and ethnic backgrounds and who also varied in their smoking history and alcohol consumption. Researchers looked at each subject’s incidence of health conditions, like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, and found a clear relationship between impaired lung function and these types of health issues. The correlation was due mainly to abdominal obesity, which the doctors defined as a waist measurement of 35 inches or more for women and 40 inches for men.

The researchers theorize that belly fat may degrade lung function by causing inflammation, and also by simply squeezing against the diaphragm and other internal organs. In any case, the study only adds to the growing body of evidence that excess abdominal fat weakens both your heart and lungs. With asthma season on the way, now would be a great time to lose that belly fat, and breathe a little deeper.