Overweight people more likely to have bad breath, TAU s...( While widespread obesity is a modern...),Health

While widespread obesity is a modern invention, bad breath is not. The phenomenon goes back thousands of years.

Says Prof. Rosenberg, I have read reports of bad breath in ancient Egypt. In ancient Rome there was a man named Cosmos who sold breath-freshening agents. Bad breath is frequently mentioned in Jewish scripture The Talmud stating that if you were a Cohen (a priest) you couldnt perform holy duties on the Temple if your breath was bad.

If you were a newlywed groom, you could annul a marriage if on your wedding night you discovered that your wife has bad breath. In ancient times, we learn, bad breath was considered a no-no, as bad as having leprosy.

The problem remains today. Bad breath and the fear that you might have it plagues millions of people because it isnt easy for one to check ones own breath. Indeed, nine people in the study were unaware of their bad breath.

Says Prof. Rosenberg, who co-edits the Journal of Breath Research, I cant go out into the world and smell everybodys breath, and quite frankly Ive already smelled many thousands of cases. My goal now is to give people a list of the potential factors that could lead to this condition, so they can treat themselves. Obesity is now added to the list, which includes dry mouth, poor dental hygiene, and possibly even the morning cup of coffee.

You should tell people in your family if they have bad breath, says Prof. Rosenberg. It is curable in almost all instances, and it can be a sign of disease. As for work colleagues, they might be happy for the advice, but they might not.

And dont be embarrassed if it happens to you, he adds. Even professors of dentistry and experts in the field of bad breath sometimes have malodorous mouths.

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