The Link Between Obesity And Dermatitis
New research continues to show links between being overweight or obese and having skin conditions such as eczema or other forms of atopic dermatitis. In this post we will summarize some of that research and then go over how you can determine if you are considered overweight or obese and if weight loss may be beneficial for you.
The Research
This systematic review and meta-analysis done in 2015 aimed to determine if being overweight or obese had an association with atopic dermatitis. The researchers of this analysis took 30 individual studies and summarized the findings in them to make a conclusion. In the end, the analysis found that being overweight and obese increased the chances of having atopic dermatitis. However, the association was found to be significant in North America and Asia but not in Europe. Researchers suggest that more studies need to be done in Europe before they can say that there is a link between obesity and atopic dermatitis specifically in Europe.
This UK-based population study done in 2021 compared two groups of people: a group of eczema sufferers and a group of people without eczema. Researchers wondered if the group of eczema sufferers would be more overweight or obese compared to the group of people without eczema. There were 400 000 people in the eczema group and 1.8 million people in the non-eczema group. The study concluded that the eczema group had higher odds of being overweight or obese in comparison to the non-eczema group. There was about an 8% increased chance of being overweight/obese for those in the eczema group in comparison to the non-eczema group.
This study done in 2020 aimed to determine if losing weight could help heal the skin of people with atopic dermatitis. Two groups were formed. One group had people with dermatitis and was told to lose weight. The other group also had people with dermatitis but were told to maintain their weight rather than lose weight. After 3 months, those in the weight loss group were able to improve their skin significantly in comparison to the group who maintained their weight.
This study done in 2021 found that infants with overweight or obese mothers had increased risk of getting atopic dermatitis. This highlights the genetic component of skin conditions. However, before you blame your mother for your skin condition, focus on improving your overall health because lifestyle plays a major part when it comes to your skin health and can often overcome the genetic component.
Why Does Obesity Lead to Skin Issues?
Researchers suggest a couple of different theories as to why obesity may affect skin conditions such as eczema or topical steroid withdrawal.
This review done in 2021 suggests that having more adipose tissue, aka fat tissue, increases the production of inflammatory molecules in the body. Those of us with inflammatory skin conditions do not want more inflammation!
This study done in 2020 found that people with atopic dermatitis seemed to have abnormal levels of hunger hormones in comparison to people without atopic dermatitis. The researchers suggest that this imbalance of hunger hormones may be affecting immune system regulation, leading to skin issues.
How to Determine if You are Overweight or Obese
Click here for the National Institute of Health’s BMI Calculator
Use a BMI (body mass index) calculator to determine your BMI. Comparing your BMI to the BMI categories chart will give you a general idea if you are considered underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.
BMI can be inaccurate for certain populations of people, such as athletes or the elderly. We recommend that you work with a healthcare professional to determine your own ideal weight.
Reaching your ideal weight can be tough. Feel free to reach out to us here at Fighting Eczema if you need our support. Best of luck!
“You didn’t gain all your weight in one day; you won’t lose it in one day. Be patient with yourself.”
