People who are obese may want to think twice before going to high altitudes. They may be at higher risk for altitude sickness, a study has found. Although obese people may be unlikely to go in for mountain climbing, they might put themselves at risk just by driving too quickly to high-altitude locations. Researchers said obese people who were going to be at high altitudes should be cautious about preparing their bodies for ascents. They should go up slowly and consider taking medication beforehand. Researchers at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine in Dallas placed volunteers in a hyperbaric chamber, to simulate different altitudes. They asked obese men (with body fat at least 30 per cent above normal), and men of normal weight to stay in the chamber for 24 hours while it replicated a rapid ascent to 12,000 feet. About 78 percent (against 40 per cent of the normal weight men) developed symptoms of mountain sickness (headaches, nausea, fatigue). One had to be removed. The obese men also had lower oxygen levels in their blood. Compiled from The New York Times News Service
