Food Allergies & Childhood Obesity

I've blogged before about the potential connection between food allergies, being overweight, and the role of inflammation (click here to see that entry). I am a big believer in this theory due to my own personal experience, and the experiences of many of those I've helped.

Monday, the NY Times ran a short story new research published in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology on the link between childhood obesity and food allergies, stating that

"Researchers studying more than 4,000 children ages 2 to 19 enrolled in a larger survey of childhood health found a significant association of overweight and obesity with allergic reactions to eggs, peanuts and other common allergens. For example, overweight and obese children were over 50 percent more likely than those of normal weight to be allergic to milk. Over all, the obese and overweight children were about 25 percent more likely to have one or more food allergies...The scientists also found an association between being overweight and levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, which suggests that systemic inflammation may also play a role in the development of allergies. "

Could it be the other way around? That food allergies/intolerance/sensitivities could cause systemic inflammation, which leads to obesity? I know it was a brief article, but I was disappointed that this potential link wasn't mentioned. The good news is, more research is being done on this topic, so I'm hopeful that we will know more in the near future.