ABSTRACT
The association between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has long been recognized. As early as 1956, OSA was included as part of the Pickwickian syndrome in Burwell et al. reference to “Joe the Fat Boy,” a rotund and sleepy, heavy snorer depicted in Charles Dickens’ “The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club” (1,2). Because that time, obesity has been found to be one of the strongest risk factors for OSA, as it is reported in up to 70% of apneics (whereas OSA has been documented in 40% of obese subjects) (3-8).
