Is obesity linked to immune health???

The reason I ask is at some point in my early 30's when I would catch a cold it was never just a cold.  I would get REALLY sick.  I would end up at the doctor with a sinus infection, ear infection, bronchitis (even pneumonia)...basically everything would get infected!!!  I would be sick for two weeks or more and go through 2, some times 3 rounds of antibiotics before I felt better.  I would be on antibiotics, steroids, inhalers with steroids, cough suppressants with codeine, decongestants...so much medicine. 

I really think my morbid obesity suppressed my immune system and made it harder for me to fight off infections.   

Well fast forward to the present time and 175 lbs lost.  I just got sick...and believe me I was afraid.  I thought, oh no I will be in bed forever and at the doctor 2-3 times.  Great!!!  It never happened.  I did end up with an ear infection but I never lost any time a work.  I was a little stuffy and run down but that was it.  I was sick for maybe 4-5 days...instead 14-20 days  I thought now this is what a cold is supposed to be like not the end of the world feeling I always get!!!  I was even able to keep on working out. 

Then that got me thinking.  I am healthier now.  I am 175 lbs lighter.  I work out, I eat better.  What a difference.  This alone is worth losing weigh for!!!

Has anyone else experienced this??? 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/dec/11/medicalresearch.health

Wow...well I am a living example of this.  I am telling you it's like night and day.  I used to get so sick and this time was like nothing at all.  The funny thing is I thought it was age that was making me sicker not my weight. 

How fantastic! So glad things are better for you. Yet another problem caused by obesity!

I believe there's a link between obesity and immune health, and I think it goes both ways - that obesity can suppress the immune system, and that immune system dysfunction can cause or affect obesity. I found some interesting studies that confirmed that link when I was writing an article about the link between obesity and fibromyalgia, which is also associated with immune system problems.

When I was obese, I caught every cold or whatever kind of bug was going around, all year long. Bronchitis, sinus infections, etc. It wasn't until I started working a department store (Germ City) and caught a cold that I realized that I hadn't gotten sick with anything for 2 years. I can remember a coworker who had lost 100 lbs (not with WLS) telling me she never gets sick any more. It does seem like the excess weight makes it almost impossible for the human body to function well on many, many levels.

Jean- Yes it's been about 3 years since I was sick.  I do go a long time between sicknesses now.  Before I would get sick at least 1-2 times a year!!! 

The fact that I would get so sick from a simple cold eventually made me a huge germ-a-phobe.  I am the person that wipes down everything with Clorox wipes every other day.  I wash my hands constantly.  If someone around me is sick I would literally put my shirt over my face and walk away and then spray Lysol everywhere!!! 

My house is my germ free zone.  When I come home the first thing I will do is wash my hands.  A couple times a week I will wipe down high traffic, high germ areas down...like door knobs, light switches, faucets...so on.  I wipe my cell phone down daily!!!

I was so worried about getting sick I turned into Monk (from the TV show).  Maybe I can loosen up a little???