Researchers from Finland have found out that teenage girls who are addicted to cigarette smoking (those who smoke 10 per day) are at a higher risk for obesity, especially abdominal obesity. Their waists will be larger than non-smoking girls by 1.34 inches in their adulthood.
Teenage Smoking Will Lead To Obesity
- In the study twins born between the years 1975 and 1979 were followed by the researchers. They gathered more data on the 2,018 men and 2,278 women when these twins were in their 20s.
- The scientists observed twins to consider genetic or familial features affecting smoking and weight gain.
- 50% of the twins were completely non- smokers and 12 % former smokers in their adolescence. Almost 15.5 % of men and 9.4 % of women smoked at least ten cigarettes per day.
- In their 20s weight issues became evident in the participants. By the time they reached 24, about 24 % of men and 11 % of women were overweight.
- Male smokers, however, were not essentially more prone to become fatter than non-smokers.
- The study says, young women who had been smoking around ten cigarettes daily were 2.32 times more prone to become obese than non-smokers.
- The difference occurs due to biological and cultural reasons. Biologically, it may be that gender specific hormones and tobacco interact differently in boys and girls in ways that affect fat distribution and appetite.
- Girls often make the mistake of smoking for weight control without being aware of its after effects. Again, if one quits smoking she would increases her intake of snacks during times she used to smoke; this in turn means weight gain.
The study is going to appear in the American Journal of Public Health in February 2009.
