Maintaining or Achieving a Desirable Body Weight is Essential Being overweight increases the work load on your heart and lungs to supply oxygen to all areas of the body. Secondly, excess fat in the abdominal area crowds the diaphragm, making it difficult to fully expand the lungs. By losing weight through proper diet and exercise, the body's muscle mass is increased. This makes breathing easier and the person will feel healthier and more energetic. On the other hand, being underweight is a problem as well.
Weight loss is a consequence of a combination of increased calorie needs and inadequate diet.
As a result of poor diet, the body's muscle mass, including the respiratory muscles, becomes depleted, making breathing more difficult. The increased work of breathing creates a higher calorie need which the person may not be able to meet, and then a cycle of weight loss and muscle wasting is perpetuated. The Impact of Nutrition on Immunity A diet deficient in calories, protien, and vitamins and minerals has a negative effect on immune function. The body's cells that fight infection are made of proteins. Poor diet makes it difficult for the body to build new immune factors to fight infections and to repair damaged tissues.