Childhood obesity increases risk of COPD in later life, study finds
New research set to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) in Malaga, Spain (11-14 May) reveals that children who are living with overweight or obesity face a significantly higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adulthood.
The study, conducted by Frida Richter and Professor Jennifer Lyn Baker from the Center for Clinical Research and Prevention at Copenhagen University Hospital, highlights how BMI patterns in childhood can influence long-term lung health.
Traditionally, smoking has been considered the primary risk factor for COPD, but recent research is increasingly focusing on environmental, occupational, and early-life influences. While previous studies have linked excess weight with non-allergic asthma and reduced lung function in adults, the connection between childhood obesity and COPD has remained unclear — until now.
Researchers analysed data from 276,747 Danish children (137,493 girls) born between 1930 and 1982, using between 2 and 12 BMI measurements taken between ages 6 and 15 from the Copenhagen School Health Records Register.
Through statistical modelling, the study identified five distinct BMI trajectories in childhood: below-average, average, above-average, overweight and obese.
Participants were then tracked in national healthcare registers from 1977 to 2022, with COPD diagnoses recorded from the age of 40 onwards.
The results found:
For women:
Above-average BMI: 10 per cent higher COPD risk
Overweight BMI: 26 per cent higher COPD risk
Obese BMI: 65 per cent higher COPD risk
For men:
Above-average BMI: 7 per cent higher COPD risk
Overweight BMI: 16 per cent higher COPD risk
Obese BMI: 40 per cent higher COPD risk
Interestingly, women with a below-average BMI in childhood had a 9 per cent lower risk of COPD compared to those with an average BMI trajectory.
The researchers suggest that overweight and obesity during childhood may independently contribute to COPD risk in adulthood, regardless of other factors such as parental smoking or socioeconomic status. While these factors were not directly measured, the researchers note that their findings were consistent across different birth cohorts — despite changes in medical advancements, smoking trends, and cultural shifts over the decades.
The findings will be presented in May at ECO 2025 in Spain.