The Nurses’ Health Study II — a study of thousands of women conducted over the course of 20 years — wanted to see if body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and physical activity had any associations with hearing loss.The study’s authors understood the negative effects of untreated hearing loss, noting how it “can impair communication and social interaction, and adversely affect psychosocial well-being and quality of life” — and they wanted to identify “modifiable risk factors” to help reduce the prevalence of hearing loss. This study focused on physical activity.The study concluded that higher BMI and larger waist circumferences increased the risk of hearing loss, but that higher physical activity — including walking, swimming, aerobics and even lower-intensity exercise — was associated with reduced risk of hearing loss in women.For more advice on reducing the risk or severity of hearing loss, consult South Suburban Hearing Health Center hearing professionals here.