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May 11, 2006 -- New research shows how common smoking and obesityobesity are among U.S. adults.
In BMJ Online First, experts report that more than 41% of U.S. adults either smoke or are obese, and about 4.7% both smoke and are obese.
Those figures work out to 81 million U.S. adults who either smoke or are obese, and 9 million obese smokers.
The researchers included Cheryl Healton, DrPH, a professor of clinical public health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, located in New York. Healton is also the president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation, which advocates against tobacco use and funded the new study.
Data's Details
The data came from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which included 29,305 people aged 18 and older.
Here's a closer look at the results on obese smokers:
The researchers write that there was "little variation" across age groups, except for people older than 65, who are less likely to be obese smokers, "probably because these risk factors are associated with early death."
New Options Needed
"Treatments for people who smoke and who are obese need to be investigated," write Healton and colleagues. They call for clinical trials of programs that try to help people simultaneously stop smoking and control weight.
Most programs for stopping smoking "do not encourage simultaneous attempts at weight control because interventions aimed at changing several health behaviors have not been very successful," Healton's team writes.
Smoking and obesity are both associated with serious health problems including heart diseaseheart disease and cancercancer. However, not all smokers or obese people develop those problems.
The NHIS didn't follow participants over time. The data don't show which participants later died or developed health problems.
People who are concerned about their weight or who want to quit smokingquit smoking may want to check with a doctor for advice on moving towards those goals.
SOURCES: Healton, C. BMJ Online First, May 12, 2006. News release, BMJ.