Adult smoking causes obesity in adulthood

Do you remember the pictures of young, stylish girls who are smoking cigarettes in the restrooms of schools? This is the downside of this habit: Adolescent smokers tend to be obese as adults, according to new Finnish research.

Adult girls who smoke 10 cigarettes a day or more are at a higher risk of obesity . In adulthood, their waist is 1.34 inches larger than the waistline of non-smokers, according to research published in February 2009 Public Health magazine.

However, adolescent smoking is not the cause of weight problems for men.

Scientists know the correlation between weight and smoking among women, said lead author Suoma Saarni, a researcher at the Helsinki Department of Public Health.

Do you remember the pictures of young, stylish girls who are smoking cigarettes in the restrooms of schools? This is the downside of this habit: Adolescent smokers tend to be obese as adults, according to new Finnish research. (Photo: iStockphoto / Mitar Gavric)

However, she added: 'We do not know why smoking does not affect his weight while affecting women's weight.'

The study followed twins born between 1975 and 1979 with questions sent to them a few days before their 16th birthday. Researchers collected additional data on 2,278 women and 2,018 men when births reached their 20s.

Scientists learn twins to recognize genetic factors that affect smoking and weight. Half of the participants never smoked, and 12% were smokers in adolescents. About 15.5% of men, and 9.4% of women smoke at least 10 cigarettes a day.

By the time the participants reached the age of 20, the weight problem became clear. By the age of 24, about 24% of men and 11% of women are overweight. However, smokers do not tend to be more overweight than non-smokers.

Women who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day tend to be 2.32 times more overweight than non-smokers.

This difference can be biologically or socially. Biologically, it is possible that sex and tobacco hormones interact differently in girls and boys.

Sherry Pagoto, professor of psychology at Masschusetts College of Medicine, said: 'My hunch is that women often smoke to control their weight, especially when they are young. When quitting, one of the reasons they gain weight is that they eat more. They started eating junk food during the times they used to smoke. '