Obese smokers at higher risk of death

American researchers surveyed more than 80,000 current and former radiologic technologists aged 22-92 who completed a self-administered questionnaire between 1983 and 1989.

They were all followed through December 2002 and the number of deaths was reported.

The questionnaire collected information about birth date, height, weight and smoking behaviour.

Participants' body mass indexes (BMI) were calculated from their weight and height. A BMI of 30 to 34.9 was considered obese, and more than 35 was very obese.

The researchers, from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute, found that smoking was related to a much higher risk of death.

The risk of death from heart disease increased with each additional increment in the BMI.

When participants were obese and also smoked, their risk of death from heart disease jumped even higher to an increase of 6- to 11-fold for those under 65, compared to the participants of normal weight who never smoked.

The study, which is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, also found that being a current smoker was a far stronger risk factor for cancer death than being obese.

Lead researcher Dr Michal Freedman said: "Smoking has been known as a very strong risk factor for many cancers, particularly lung cancer, which is the most common site of cancer death.”

"We have long known that education and information are not sufficient for health behavior change," added Susan Curry, director of the Health Research and Policy Centers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"We need to communicate realistic and achievable goals, and we need to help people understand that they are not solely responsible for their increased risk.

"The tobacco industry and food industry, for example, contribute greatly to an environment that promotes unhealthful behaviors such as tobacco use and unhealthful eating."

According to the study, 20 per cent of obese adults in the US smoke.

source:www.999today.com