Smoking Tied to Poor Eating Habits
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2024 -- Smokers tend to eat less and have less healthy eating habits than nonsmokers, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Congress on Obesity, hosted by the European Association for the Study of Obesity from May 12 to 15 in Venice, Italy.
Arwa Alruwaili, from the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined associations of smoking with eating and dietary behaviors among 83,781 U.K. men and women (6,454 smokers) participating in health assessment programs between 2004 and 2022.
The researchers found that when adjusting for age, sex, and index of multiple deprivation, smokers were more likely to skip meals, have fewer meals per day, go more than three hours without food, and find it hard to leave something on their plate versus nonsmokers (all adjusted odds ratio [aOR] ≥ 1.08). Compared with nonsmokers, smokers were less likely to snack between meals and eat food as a reward or out of boredom (aOR ≤ 0.86). Additionally, smokers were less likely to eat sweet foods between meals and for dessert (aOR ≤ 0.92), but more likely to eat fried food and add salt and sugar to meals (aOR ≥ 1.08).
"These findings reinforce the importance of providing nutritional and weight management support in the large-scale efforts to prevent and reduce smoking in the general U.K. population," Alruwaili said in a statement. "This could help to promote more successful quit attempts, and to improve people's eating habits and the many diseases that are related to both of these major health risks."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2024
Read this next
Smoking + RA With Obstructive Pattern Shows Less Spirometry Decline
TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- Patients who have smoked with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and an obstructive pattern may be a unique phenotype, according to a study published online June...
Varenicline, Nicotine-Containing E-Cigarettes Help in Quitting Smoking
WEDNESDAY, June 19, 2024 -- Varenicline and nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes (ECs) are both effective in helping individuals in quitting smoking conventional cigarettes...
Teens, Young Adults Modify Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems
MONDAY, June 17, 2024 -- Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are aware of and engage in modifications of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.