Topping out at 322 pounds, Kate Wellstead has "been big for as long as I can remember," she told the U.K.'s Daily Mail. "When I was about three years old, my mum took me to see a dietitian because of my size." Claiming she just never felt full, Wellstead continued to eat and gain weight into her teenage years and adulthood.

For most girls, those years are filled with proms, dates and first kisses, but not for Wellstead, who shares that because she was overweight, the only time she got asked out on a date was as a joke. Not only did the extreme weight encourage abuse from bullies, Wellstead developed a severe asthma condition that left her struggling to breathe after just a short walk to school. In desperate attempts to get well, she tried a number of diets, medical treatments and even hypnosis, but nothing worked.

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Yoga has many benefits, ranging from flexibility to relaxation. But now CafeMom tells us that yoga can also reduce asthma symptoms.

A recent study had participants with asthma try yoga for 2.5 hours a week. The participants focused on holding the different poses for one minute at a time and really concentrating on breathing. After 10 weeks, participants noted a reduction in their asthma symptoms, and some were able to cut back on medication.

Want to learn more? Check out yoga on AOL Health and learn how it can help you get a better bikini body, strengthen your core and more.

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Late last summer, I'd just kicked off a personal weight loss campaign when I suffered a surprisingly stubborn bout of asthma. Prescribed a tapering dose of prednisone for what ended up being two months, my doctor advised me to keep moving forward with diet and exercise, but warned that I might not lose a pound. "Maintaining your weight on this drug is a feat in and of itself," he said.

I lost 20 pounds.

It wasn't easy ... in fact, it was darn hard. Prednisone plays with blood sugar levels in the body, and it makes me feel hungry even when my brain tells me I've eaten enough. Loren Berlin writes about her own struggles with prednisone-related weight gain after she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis:

"Initially I got angry. It seemed unfair that I should have to lose my hard-earned shape to regain my health. These weren't the terms I wanted to negotiate. But my gastroenterologist and my blood tests told me that what I wanted and what I needed were at odds, and needs trumped wants."

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Skyrocketing childhood obesity rates have an unwanted side effect -- more kids are being put on prescription medications to combat related chronic diseases.

A recent study revealed there have been surges in prescriptions for children with diabetes and asthma as well as smaller increases in high blood pressure and high cholesterol medications. To varying degrees, obesity can play a role in all of those conditions. While some of the medication increase can be attributed to modified guidelines, the rise is concerning.

If your child is overweight, there are many positive, supportive ways you can help. AOL Health has other suggestions for battling childhood obesity.

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Recent research shows -- believe it or not -- that sweat and airway secretion are linked. For people who have exercise-induced asthma, dryness in their airways can trigger asthma symptoms. Increased airway secretions can minimize or prevent symptoms during exercise.

Study participants were given medications to induce asthma symptoms and/or sweating. Obviously, the average Joe can't pop a pill to increase sweat production. And honestly, who would want to? So while researchers still work out the practical applications of this knowledge, follow these tips from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology:

• Try swimming -- the warm, humid atmosphere reduces the risk of symptoms.
• If you want to play team sports, opt for those -- like baseball -- that have short bursts of intense activity rather than continuous movement.
• In cold weather, wear a scarf or mask over your mouth and nose to warm the inhaled air.

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It isn't brand-new news that obesity can worsen asthma symptoms. Previous research has indicated that obesity can cause more severe symptoms for people with asthma. New research expands on that fact and shows that people who are obese and have asthma are more than five times as likely to be hospitalized for their symptoms.

Sometimes I wonder why we need a funded study to tell us these things. I'm not a scientist, I'm not a doctor, and I'm not a researcher, but it seems relatively obvious to me that obesity could potentially exacerbate asthma symptoms.

If you have asthma, maintaining a healthy weight is an important step you can take to protect your health. For tips on weight loss, check out AOL Health.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz, My name is Sarah and I'm almost 16. I have always been involved with sports including: hockey, basketball, soccer and you name it! Now that I am older, I have slowed down a bit and only play basketball for high school and travel. This is what is bothering me: I can't seem to run as long as I used to. I get tired easily and run out of breath. I'm not fat or anything, and I am even really fast. But by the time I run one length of the court I'm pretty much dead. What am I doing wrong and what do I need to do to change this? It seems like I get more out of breathe each season. Thanks, Sarah

A. Hi Sarah, Thanks for writing. I have two thoughts on what may be happening with you, the first being more probable than the last. Most likely, you've just become out of shape. That doesn't mean you're obese or in horrible shape, it just may mean you're not capable of doing as much as you were two years ago when you were involved in three sports! You take pride in the fact that you run fast. That's great! But, the fact that you like to go all out probably makes you more likely to suck wind at the end of one lap.

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If you or someone in your household suffers from asthma, you most likely take steps to help avoid an attack. You most likely already have your own comprehensive list of do's and don't's when it comes to your asthma, but there's something else you may want to add to that list: Stop using household spray cleaners.

An international longitudinal study discovered a link between common household cleaning sprays to an increased risk of asthma attack in adults. The researchers found that using household spray cleaners as infrequently as once a week is enough to raise the risk of an asthma attack by 76 percent. What's more, the risk became even greater if cleaning sprays were used more frequently than that.

Play it safe by switching to liquid cleaning products rather than aerosols, asthma experts say. If there's any difference in cleaning, it's a small sacrifice to be made in terms of protecting your respiratory health.

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If you have a child with asthma, you might already know that fitness is especially important -- it can help improve childhood asthma. And with summer approaching, you might be thinking about swimming. It's a great physical activity, and kids love it, so you're set, right?

Not so fast. A recent article by Claire McCarthy, M.D., of Harvard Medical School urges parents to take caution with their asthmatic children when it comes to swimming. While the activity itself helps to strengthen their lungs -- and swimming is one form of fitness that's less likely to cause asthma symptoms -- there is one problem. The chlorine.

The article cites a study done in Belgium, where "children who swam as infants in chlorinated swimming pools were more likely to have asthma later in childhood. It appeared that the chlorine may have damaged the lining of the lungs."

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Before my father was retired he had to wake up at 3 a.m. for work. After retirement, his early morning habit proved hard to break. Subsequently, the afternoons would inevitably find him snoozing on his recliner. Without fail, as soon as he'd hit a deep sleep he'd let out a massive snort, wake himself up, and grumble at my mom and I for "waking him up."
My dad's afternoon snoring puts him in the company of many others. How about you? Do you snore, too? Revolution Health offers some tips on snoring. Snoring is caused by a narrowing of the throat due to congestion, enlarged tonsils, or other issues. Conditions like asthma and obesity can also cause or exacerbate snoring. Contrary to what some might believe, snoring doesn't necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. But if you feel your snoring is excessive, it's a good idea to check with your doctor.

You can minimize your snoring by changing up some of your sleep routines. Try sleeping on your side and avoiding alcohol and smoking before bedtime. Also, if you have some weight to lose, dropping excess pounds will likely help your snoring. You can also see your doctor for other possible solutions such as a mouthpiece designed to minimize snoring.

Want to learn more? Chris tells us how excessive snoring may signal a health risk.

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Don't you love it when people tell you not to stress out? Sometimes, stress is just out of your control and no amount of people telling you, "Relax ..." is going to make you actually do so. So forgive me for the following:

A recent study found that women who experience stressful events during pregnancy may bear children who are predisposed to allergies and asthma. The study found that babies of moms who reported three or more highly stressful events during pregnancy had increased levels of IgE in their cord blood. Elevated IgE levels are associated with the development of allergies and asthma.

The children in this study will be followed for five years to find if they actually do develop allergies at a higher rate than other children.

Obviously, stress is something we all try to avoid. In this study, many of the issues that caused stress were situations that are difficult to overcome, such as financial, marital, or health issues. So while I'm not going to tell you to "relax," I am going to remind you that during pregnancy, your body is already under a lot of stress. Cutting yourself a break will protect your health and your baby's too, potential future allergy problems aside.

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I keep an albuterol inhaler in my bedroom and another in my purse. That way, I figure I'm covered if I have an asthma attack. One of my inhalers is an old, generic, CFC (chloroflourocarbon) type that has yet to hit its expiration date, while the other is ProAir, a CFC-free HFA inhaler. If I have an attack at home, I always reach for the older, CFC inhaler. Why? Because it feels like it works better.

According to the NYT, I'm not alone. Though I'm all for changes being made to improve the environment (CFCs destroy the ozone layer), I'll admit that transitioning to CFC-free inhalers hasn't been easy. HFA inhalers (like ProAir and Ventolin) have a softer spray, which can lead people to believe they aren't working. (Studies show they work just as well as CFC type inhalers.) They are also more expensive because there are not yet generics available.

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Are you one of the 1/3 of Americans who live in a smoggy city? Smog -- a heavy, dark fog primarily composed of ozone -- can trigger asthma symptoms, cause coughing, chest pain, wheezing, or even premature death. The top 10 smoggiest cities are:

• Los Angeles, CA. The air quality is slowing improving in LA, but, on average, it still has 90 days per year with unhealthy ozone levels.
• Bakersfield, CA. Bakersfield has an average of 83 days with unhealthy ozone levels each year, as well as other air quality issues.
• Visalia, CA. Lying near Sequoia National Forest, Visalia has an average of 68 high ozone days per year.
• Houston, TX. Nearly 400,000 Houston residents have asthma -- a condition that can be exacerbated by the city's average of 36 unhealthy ozone days per year.
• Fresno, CA. In 2000, Fresno had 87 unhealthy ozone days. Now, the city is averaging only 34 unhealthy ozone days per year -- still high enough to land it in the top 10, but amazing progress.
• Sacramento, CA. The fifth city from California's Central Valley to make the list, Sacramento has an average of 25 unhealthy ozone days per year.
• Dallas, TX. Dallas has an average of 22 unhealthy ozone days per year.
• New York, NY. With such a constant flow of traffic, it's almost surprising that New York doesn't have more than an average of 12 unhealthy ozone days per year.
• Washington DC/Baltimore. Our capitol region has an average of 11 unhealthy ozone days per year.
• Baton Rouge, LA. Baton Rouge averages 11 unhealthy ozone days per year.
  

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Because I have asthma, and because it interferes with my ability to exercise, I'm constantly on the look out for new diet and environment-based ways to reduce my symptoms. I'm on a good regimen of medications and starting last winter, immunotherapy. I know that a healthy lifestyle will complement those things and possibly help reduce the amount of medication I have to take.

I was surprised recently to learn that a high-salt diet has been linked to exercise-induced asthma. When researchers put a group of asthmatics on a high-salt diet, their airway functions declined significantly and rapidly. This is important, because Americans, whose asthma rates are climbing, have been turning away from fresh, natural foods and toward processed boxed and frozen goods that are loaded with sodium. I'll definitely be watching the salt in my diet much more closely from now on.

Men's Health recently listed the 20 saltiest foods in America. Though these aren't the only foods to avoid if you're cutting sodium, they're definitely at the top of the list! Check out AOL Body for more low-sodium tips.

How do you limit the amount of sodium in your diet?

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If you'd describe your sleep lately as "crappy," you have no idea how correct you are in your word choice. That's because, on average, ten percent of the weight of a two-year-old pillow is attributable to dust mites and their droppings.

Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen, we're sleeping on crap. And, it's not just on our pillows that mites seem to enjoy so much; mattresses are veritable party clubs for dust mites, gathering anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million of these tiny suckers inside. What is it these intrepid invaders want from us? Our dead skin. You're feeling itchy right now just thinking about it, aren't you?

Because dust mites are responsible for many cases of asthma, eczema, and many allergy problems, it's a good idea to either replace your old bed and pillow or wash them thoroughly with hot water as often as you can.

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