smoking Archives - Skyline Newspaper

By Skyline Newspaper April 30, 2015 9 years 382 words

Weight Concerns May Be Keeping More Female Smokers From Quitting, University of Chicago Research Finds

National surveys indicate that more than 50% of American adults want to lose weight, but it’s not surprising that women are dedicated to the cause much more than men — and …


National surveys indicate that more than 50% of American adults want to lose weight, but it’s not surprising that women are dedicated to the cause much more than men — and according to a new study by the University of Chicago regarding smoking trends, women may actually be putting their health in jeopardy by refusing to quit simply because they don’t want to gain weight.Many women go to extreme measures to take the extra weight off, and they do so at an alarming rate compared to men. Women, for example, are more likely to get cosmetic surgical procedures — they make up 91% of all patients at cosmetic treatment offices, while men only make up a measly 9%. It’s hardly a secret that women have a harder time quitting smoking than men do, causing health workers and marketers to tailor messages and resources toward strictly female audiences. Recently, a University of Arizona research team created an Android pilot app called “See Me Smoke-Free,” which was created to give women some extra motivation to put down the cigarettes. The app comes with inspirational messages that remind women to prioritize their health over the numbers on the scale, and extra features like a daily “Money Saved” calculator reminders users that cigarettes don’t just take a toll on their health, but also their bank accounts. However, many women still see smoking as an effective tool for weight loss, and this often negates any other anti-smoking messages that reference cost and long-term health. According to the Chicago Tribune, a 2015 study of Illinois counties found a correlation between the counties with the highest obesity rates and those with the highest number of ex-smokers. When cigarette prices were raised by 10% in the U.S. recently, 6% of women who believed that smoking did not help weight loss decided to attempt to quit, while there was no increase in the number of women attempting to quit if they believed that it would hinder weight loss. Although smokers are likely to gain more weight after they quit, researchers still note that smoking won’t necessarily cause a person to lose weight, and developing positive coping habits can reduce a person’s risk for weigh gain after quitting. There are also other benefits such as better sleep patterns and feeling more rested.

National surveys indicate that more than 50% of American adults want to lose weight, but it’s not surprising that women are dedicated to the cause much more than men — and according to a new study by the University of Chicago regarding smoking trends, women may actually be putting their health in jeopardy by refusing to quit simply because they don’t want to gain weight.Many women go to extreme measures to take the extra weight off, and they do so at an alarming rate compared to men. Women, for example, are more likely to get cosmetic surgical procedures — they make up 91% of all patients at cosmetic treatment offices, while men only make up a measly 9%.

It’s hardly a secret that women have a harder time quitting smoking than men do, causing health workers and marketers to tailor messages and resources toward strictly female audiences.

Recently, a University of Arizona research team created an Android pilot app called “See Me Smoke-Free,” which was created to give women some extra motivation to put down the cigarettes. The app comes with inspirational messages that remind women to prioritize their health over the numbers on the scale, and extra features like a daily “Money Saved” calculator reminders users that cigarettes don’t just take a toll on their health, but also their bank accounts.

However, many women still see smoking as an effective tool for weight loss, and this often negates any other anti-smoking messages that reference cost and long-term health.

According to the Chicago Tribune, a 2015 study of Illinois counties found a correlation between the counties with the highest obesity rates and those with the highest number of ex-smokers.

When cigarette prices were raised by 10% in the U.S. recently, 6% of women who believed that smoking did not help weight loss decided to attempt to quit, while there was no increase in the number of women attempting to quit if they believed that it would hinder weight loss.

Although smokers are likely to gain more weight after they quit, researchers still note that smoking won’t necessarily cause a person to lose weight, and developing positive coping habits can reduce a person’s risk for weigh gain after quitting. There are also other benefits such as better sleep patterns and feeling more rested.

By Skyline Newspaper April 23, 2015 9 years 427 words

Smoking Doesn’t Aid Weight Control, but Believing It Does Makes It Harder to Quit, Say Chicago Researchers

For years now, a myth has persisted that smoking helps people, especially women, control their weight. But a new study out of the University of Illinois at Chicago is busting that …


For years now, a myth has persisted that smoking helps people, especially women, control their weight. But a new study out of the University of Illinois at Chicago is busting that misconception and revealing some trends that should make female smokers think twice about their tobacco habits. According to the study’s lead author, Ce Shang, women in the United States who believe smoking helps control their weight are less likely than other female smokers to quit, despite higher cigarette prices and anti-smoking messages around the country. “We found that concerns about weight are a significant barrier to quitting among U.K. smokers and U.S. female smokers who believe smoking helps them manage weight,” said Shang, who is a senior research specialist in the University’s Institute for Health Research and Policy. Researchers analyzed data from about 10,000 smokers in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, all of whom took part in surveys conducted between 2002 and 2007. For women who don’t believe that smoking helps control weight, the 10% increase in cigarette prices in those years was associated with just a 6% increase in attempts to quit. Yet for the portion who believe that smoking does keep weight down, there were no significant increases in attempts to quit. Those who saw a 10% increase in anti-smoking messages were 12% more likely to attempt quitting, but only if they weren’t depending on smoking to control their weight. Again, the researchers saw no increase in attempts to quit for those using smoking to control weight despite the warnings about the dangers of cigarettes. However, because the data is from 2007 at the latest, it could be missing a crucial smoking cessation method today, which is the use of electronic cigarettes. Those who “vape” with e-cigarettes experience fewer health risks than they would with tobacco while still getting the physical sensation of smoking. In recent years, the use of alternative tobacco products, including the many unique vaporizers and hookahs on the market, has risen 123%. Meanwhile, with their popularity, teen smoking rates have also decreased, down 25% since last year and 42% since 2011. No matter what smokers use, however, whether they’re tobacco cigarettes or other products, Shang warns that health officials need to take the misconception of weight loss while smoking into consideration when developing anti-smoking measures. “Policymakers should take weight concerns into account to enhance the effectiveness of existing policies that promote quitting smoking,” Shang said. Additionally, heavy smokers turned out to be more likely to be overweight, according to the Shang, “so the idea that smoking helps control weight is really unfounded.”

For years now, a myth has persisted that smoking helps people, especially women, control their weight. But a new study out of the University of Illinois at Chicago is busting that misconception and revealing some trends that should make female smokers think twice about their tobacco habits.

According to the study’s lead author, Ce Shang, women in the United States who believe smoking helps control their weight are less likely than other female smokers to quit, despite higher cigarette prices and anti-smoking messages around the country.

“We found that concerns about weight are a significant barrier to quitting among U.K. smokers and U.S. female smokers who believe smoking helps them manage weight,” said Shang, who is a senior research specialist in the University’s Institute for Health Research and Policy.

Researchers analyzed data from about 10,000 smokers in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, all of whom took part in surveys conducted between 2002 and 2007.

For women who don’t believe that smoking helps control weight, the 10% increase in cigarette prices in those years was associated with just a 6% increase in attempts to quit. Yet for the portion who believe that smoking does keep weight down, there were no significant increases in attempts to quit.

Those who saw a 10% increase in anti-smoking messages were 12% more likely to attempt quitting, but only if they weren’t depending on smoking to control their weight. Again, the researchers saw no increase in attempts to quit for those using smoking to control weight despite the warnings about the dangers of cigarettes.

However, because the data is from 2007 at the latest, it could be missing a crucial smoking cessation method today, which is the use of electronic cigarettes. Those who “vape” with e-cigarettes experience fewer health risks than they would with tobacco while still getting the physical sensation of smoking.

In recent years, the use of alternative tobacco products, including the many unique vaporizers and hookahs on the market, has risen 123%. Meanwhile, with their popularity, teen smoking rates have also decreased, down 25% since last year and 42% since 2011.

No matter what smokers use, however, whether they’re tobacco cigarettes or other products, Shang warns that health officials need to take the misconception of weight loss while smoking into consideration when developing anti-smoking measures.

“Policymakers should take weight concerns into account to enhance the effectiveness of existing policies that promote quitting smoking,” Shang said.

Additionally, heavy smokers turned out to be more likely to be overweight, according to the Shang, “so the idea that smoking helps control weight is really unfounded.”