Air date: March 29, 2009

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Did you Know? is presented by Wishard Health Services, becoming Eskenazi Health in 2014.

It's true: having love handles can make it harder to breathe.

A recent French study found that the more fat you have around your belly, the less well your lungs function.

The researchers think that belly fat could squeeze the lungs by restricting the diaphragm or chest wall. Or excess fat could trigger swelling in the body that causes breathing problems.

Other studies have linked obesity and abdominal fat to metabolic syndrome – a group of problem including high blood pressure and cholesterol.

The new study shows that obesity can harm the lungs, too.

And now you know.

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about abdominal fat and lung function.

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