Smoking and Obesity, Double Threat for Americans
May 12, 2006
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Smoking, obesity, or the combination of the two is putting more than 80 million Americans at risk of long-term illness and early death, according to researchers from Columbia University in New York and the American Legacy Foundation in Washington, D.C.
The researchers used data from the 2002 national health interview survey and estimated how many adults are obese and smoke. They found about 23 percent of adults are obese, and about the same percentage smoke. Approximately 4.7 percent (9 million) smoke and are obese. Study authors say this combination may put these people at an additional health risk.
Researchers say treatments for people who smoke and who are obese should be investigated, perhaps in the form of programs aimed at simultaneously stopping smoking and controlling weight.
SOURCE: British Medical Journal, published online May 11, 2006
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.