[Great Dane]

Don't you think that it is more likely that bad allergies make the sufferer more lethargic, less active, leading to weight gain.

But that begs the question........... why are there so many more cases of allergi's and asthma than ever before.

[3catsanadog]

My guess is that houses/schools/business offices are all closed up all year round - heat in winter, air cond in summer. The vents are breeding grounds for mold, dust, mites and we are all breathing recirculated air. Heck, you can't even open a window in an office building anymore. They are all sealed up.

[Eva]

Allergies tend to run in families. There seems to be a hereditary link to a predisposition to allergies.

My mother's father died of a mastoid infection that followed an ear infection from allergies at age 23. My uncle had the allegies, my mother did not, but her 3 children did and their children all do, some worse than others. The breast fed children avoided allergies until teenaged, the bottle fed children developed allergic asthma as infants.

[Eva]

By the way, none of them were over weight.

[LarryLied]

A recent post said some scientists believe a too clean environment is the cause of an increase in asthma cases among children.

[r9etb]

But that begs the question........... why are there so many more cases of allergi's and asthma than ever before.

I've heard also that there's some evidence that good sanitation and vaccination may have something to do with it, too -- little lungs often don't see a series of little irritations to generate a resistance to athsma.

However, I also have to wonder if it simply has something to do with the huge population growth in the South. Plenty of allergens down there to kick off an attack.