en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:11:34 GMT 15 By Jessica S. - Sports Editor
It has been known for years that lung cancer and increased risk for heart attack were directly linked to cigarette usage. According to recent studies, cigarette smoking can also lead to a larger waistline among females. Girls who smoke ten cigarettes or more a day are at a greater risk for obesity, especially in the abdominal area. Their waists are 1.34 inches larger than those of non-smokers as young adults according to the study published in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The study did not, however, detect increased risk for obesity in males. The study proves that there is definitely a link between women smoking and weight gain; however, there is no explanation to the reason why, just as there is no explanation as to why smoking does not increase males chances for obesity. "We do not know why smoking did not affect men’s weight, as we do not know why smoking affected women’s weight," Suoma Saarni, a researcher with the Department of Public Health in Helsinki said. This study followed twins born between 1975 and 1979. They received questionnaires shortly after their 16 th birthdays. Then they were questioned further in their 20s.   Half of the participants had never smoked, while 12 percent were former smokers in adolescence. Fifteen and a half percent of men and 9.4 percent of women smoked at least ten cigarettes a day. By their mid twenties, weight problems became evident with 24 percent of men and 11 percent of women. However, the weight gain in males was not more prone to smokers than non-smokers. According to the study, women that smoked more than ten cigarettes a day were 2.32 times more likely to gain weight than non-smokers were. "The difference could be either biological or cultural," Saarni said. "Biologically it may be that tobacco and gender specific hormones interact differently in boys and girls in ways that affect appetite and fat distribution." During adolescence especially, there are chances that girls are smoking in order to control weight. Sherry Pagoto, assistant professor in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School believes. "When people do quit smoking, one of the reasons they do gain weight is that they increase their consumptions of food," Pagoto said. "They’ll start snacking at times they used to smoke." (Some information courtesy of www. sciencedaily.com) ]]> Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:35:12 GMT