I need to lose weight, but I also have asthma. A lot of the drugs for asthma make a person gain weight automatically, and due to the asthma, you cannot exercise to lose it. How can I lose weight while living with asthma?
One of the guiding principles of my work is that if you don’t address the underlying cause of a problem — any problem — more often than not, the same problem comes back again, or you may get a new set of problems or side effects, or you may have painful choices.
Of course, drugs to treat asthma can be lifesaving in some people, especially during asthma attacks. Drugs to treat asthma can have bad side effects in some people, including weight gain, so anything you can do to help treat the cause of asthma and reduce your need for medication would be a wise choice. Some drugs prescribed to treat asthma may actually help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism, so talk with your doctor. Other drugs such as steroids cause weight gain, as well as more serious side effects.
Although I have not conducted randomized controlled trials of asthma, I have seen many patients’ breathing improve when they began changing their diet, meditating, practicing yoga breathing practices, and exercising moderately. I had bad asthma as a child and a young adult until I began making these comprehensive lifestyle changes. I have been off medication for more than 20 years. This doesn’t mean that everyone can stop taking medication, of course, but it’s certainly worth giving comprehensive lifestyle changes a try.