Associations of Atopic Dermatitis With Obesity and Unmarried Status in Young Adults: Evidence for Atopic Dermatitis as a Life-Style Disorder With High Social Impact.

Abstract

Obesity is medical status in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. 2,3 People are considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person’s weight by the square of the person’s height, is over 30 kg/m 2 , with the range 25-30 kg/m 2 defined as overweight. Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. 2 Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food energy intake, lack of physical activity, environmental, and genetic susceptibility. 2 In this issue, an analysis of cross-sectional nation-wide survey of 5,202 Korean young adults aged 19-40 years showed that obesity was positively related to the presence of AD in women and that unmarried status was more frequently observed in AD patients compared to subjects without AD in both females and males. 4