Child ear infections linked to obesity

CHILDREN who suffer frequent ear infections could face a greater risk of becoming obese in later life, research suggested yesterday.

Middle-ear infections are one of the most common childhood conditions seen by doctors.

Now a study by the University of Florida's Centre for Smell and Taste has found a link between severe ear infections and a tendency to be overweight in adulthood.

Researcher Linda Bartoshuk said that chronic and repeated ear infections could damage a nerve – known as chorda tympani – which passes through the middle ear and controls taste sensations. She said that damage to this nerve appears to intensify the desire to eat fatty and high-energy foods, which can lead to obesity.

The research, presented at the American Chemical Society meeting in Philidelphia, focused on 245 adults with a history of ear infections and more than 1,000 people without such a problem. The volunteers were asked about their food preferences.

The researchers found that those with a history of ear infections were more likely to eat fatty foods and were twice as likely to be obese compared to the other group.