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US researchers reviewed seven studies involving over 330,000 adult patients, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reported.
They said obesity was well-established as a risk factor for diabetes and heart disease, and that asthma could now been added to that list.
UK experts agreed there was a link, but said the reasons were still unclear.
Asthma affects the small tubes - airways - that carry air in and out of the lungs.
Obesity is a well-established risk factor for diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. The findings support the addition of asthma to that list 
When something triggers asthma, the muscle around the walls of the airways tightens so that the airway becomes narrower.
The lining of the airways becomes inflamed and starts to swell and mucus or phlegm can be produced.
These reactions cause the airways to become narrower and irritated, which leads to the symptoms of asthma - such as wheezing, shortness of breath and a tight chest.
More than 5m people in the UK are currently being treated for asthma.
The study, by a joint team from the US National Jewish Medical and Research Center and University of Colorado, classed normal weight as someone with a body mass index below 25, overweight over 25 but below 30, and obese as 30 and above.
The analysis showed that for every normal weight person with asthma, there were 1.5 people with asthma who were overweight or obese.
The risk of having asthma for those who were obese was twice that of someone with normal weight.
Researchers could not pinpoint what caused the increased risk of asthma. Read more...
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