International Journal of Physiology

Expanding waistlines and ballooning potbellies are common sights today. Obesity lays the foundation for a host of other health issues and has the clear potential to affect respiratory well being. Hazards of ‘visceral obesity’ are more than that of ‘subcutaneous obesity’. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of obesity on lung function by using waist-hip ratio as a measure of Central adiposity and to determine whether the effect of waist-hip ratio on lung volumes varies between males and females. This cross-sectional analytical study was done in 103 subjects recruited by convenience sampling from Thanjavur. Of these 54 were men and 49 were women. 70 had normal waist-hip ratio and 33 had high waist-hip ratio. Subjects with co-morbidities were excluded. In all these subjects pulmonary function parameters were measured following standard protocol using computerized spirometer. The present study found significant negative correlation between waist hip ratio and many parameters of pulmonary function including FEV1, FVC and PEFR. Also waist-hip ratio was found to influence pulmonary function to different extent in both the sexes. Hence subjects should be motivated to maintain ideal waist-hip ratio for better respiratory efficiency. Also further studies should be done to improve prediction equations of pulmonary function tests by taking into account the effect of body weight and distribution of body fat.