USA: Research Shows Teenagers Start Smoking To Lose Weight

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 29 Oct 2007 - 14:00 PDT

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Although smoking rates in teenagers has been down for years, researchers have found that girls are starting to smoke in the hope of losing weight.

According to a recent study by the American Journal of Health Promotion teenage girls dieting during the two-year study were almost twice as likely to take up smoking than those not dieting.

Conversely, the study found that teenage boys turned to cigarettes after attempting and failing at dieting.

Janan Less, community health consultant for the Scott County Health Department, said she thinks the increase in teenage girls smoking is linked to high obesity rates and girls looking to tobacco to lose weight.

The theory is that smoking distracts people from eating and helps curb appetites.

Ms. Less said, "I think there's a social norm change with tobacco and it's not socially acceptable now with all the information and knowledge we have."

Although there are many successful efforts to curb teenage smoking, young people certainly have not kicked the habit completely.

R.J. Reynolds' newest cigarette has been criticised by many politicians for marketing their products towards teenage girls and women. Camel No. 9, claims to be "light and luscious, and the pink and black sleek packaging is designed to appeal to female smokers.

The company says the new take on cigarettes is designed to boost the number of female smokers loyal to the Camel brand. Representatives said the brand is known as a male brand, with only 30 percent of Camel smokers being women.

But many politicians and others across the country are up in arms about Camel No. 9 advertising in many major women's magazines; including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Vogue and many others. Members of Congress have been writing to these publishers requesting they remove the advertisements which they claim are unquestionably targeted at teenage girls.

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