The Effect of Obesity on Lung Functioning

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (≥18yr) who report a physician's diagnosis of asthma and have taken any asthma medication within the last 2 weeks. * Obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥40, or ≥35 with comorbidities, as per published guidelines for qualification for bariatric surgery). * Planned weight-loss surgery or structured weight-loss plan. Exclusion Criteria: * Tobacco use within one month. * Qualifying lung-functioning. * Qualifying oxygen saturation levels. * Use of systemic corticosteroids (Prednisone) within one month. * Presence of another chronic lung disease besides asthma (COPD, bronchiectasis, ILD, sarcoidosis, etc). * Presence of another chronic systemic inflammatory disease (rheumatoid arthritis or other connective-tissue disease, chronic infection such as osteomyelitis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic active hepatitis, etc). Subjects with osteoarthritis, stable coronary artery disease, hypertension, or diabetes mellitus will not be excluded. * Presence of malignant neoplasm within the last 3 years (with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer). * Clinically significant left or right ventricular dysfunction. * Severe pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure). * Untreated obstructive sleep apnea: * Subjects with a current diagnosis of sleep apnea not being treated with CPAP or BiPAP will be excluded. * Subjects with a current diagnosis of sleep apnea being treated adequately (as determined by the investigators) will be included. * Prader-Willi syndrome * A known endocrinopathy causing obesity (e.g., Cushing's Syndrome).