Have a family member thats a 65 year old male and slightly overweight in their stomach area. when he sits he breathes somewhat heavy. you can hear him breathing. what can this mean? thanks?

He should see his doctor to find out why he is short of breath with minimal exertion. This can represent a heart condition, a lung condition, a blood issue like anemia, deconditioning, etc. There are so many things that can cause this and some are very serious. He needs to see a doctor to evaluate why he is short of breath and treat his condition, if needed. Good luck!

If he only breathes this way while sitting but not when physically active, the adipose mass in his abdomen is most likely restricting his diaphagmatic excursion when he inhales which reduces his ability to take in a normal breath. However, if he's having shortness of breath doing rather normal activities he needs to be evaluated as advised by Dr. F.