Allergic diseases and childhood obesity: is there a relationship?

Over the past decades, the proportion of obese children has increased 4-fold. At the same time, there is an increase in allergic pathology in the children’s population. The aim is to present modern data on the relationship between childhood obesity and allergic diseases. Materials and methods. A search was conducted for domestic and foreign literature on the relationship between various links in the pathogenesis of allergic pathology and obesity using the databases Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, eLibrary, Cyberleninka. The review includes studies published from January 2016 to January 2025. Results . Data on the mechanical and inflammatory effects of obesity in relation to atopy in children are described. In addition, obesity is associated with increased production of inflammatory cytokines and adipokines, which supports low-activity systemic inflammation and increases the risk of exacerbations of allergic diseases. Allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and chronic urticaria also appear to be associated with the chronic systemic low-activity inflammation characteristic of obesity. Vitamin D deficiency, characteristic of obesity, appears to play a role in the development of bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis, while dyslipidemia and skin barrier defects may explain the link between obesity and atopic dermatitis. Conclusion . Further research on the relationship between obesity and atopy is needed, confirming the role of adipose tissue in the development of allergic diseases, in order to develop new therapeutic strategies.