Smoking and obesity are the nation's top public-health concerns. Smoking and obesity are major preventable causes of premature death and disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that about 5 million people worldwide die from tobacco use. The CDC also estimates that about 325,000 deaths in the U.S. per year are linked to obesity. Now research reports that about nine million Americans are both obese and smoking, with disproportionately higher rates among African Americans.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, investigated the prevalence of obesity, smoking, and both health risk factors together in U.S. adults. Researchers from Columbia University in New York, analyzed data from a 2002 U.S. national health interview survey including 29,305 adults, aged 18 or older. Surveys obtained from the participants were reviewed for age, sex, ethnic group, education, and income.
The researchers found that 23.5 percent of participants were obese, 22.7 percent smoked, and 4.7 percent smoked and were also obese. More men were obese than women. Findings also revealed that 7 percent of African Americans were obese smokers, compared with 4.6 percent whites and 4.2 percent Hispanics. Furthermore, participants with yearly incomes under $20,000 had a 6.5 percent incidence of obesity and smoking, compared to 4.5 percent for those with incomes over $20,000.
The study authors suggest that more research is needed to effectively treat low- income, obese smokers. "Although the proportion of adults who smoke and are obese is relatively low, this subgroup is concentrated among lower socioeconomic groups," the study authors conclude.
REFERENCES:
1. Healton CG et al. Smoking, obesity, and their co-occurrence in the United States: cross sectional analysis. BMJ 2006 Jul 1;333(7557):25-6. Epub 2006 May.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on September 6, 2006 02:46 PM
