Girls who begin dieting twice as likely to sta... (Still the number of children smoking in ...)

Girls who begin dieting twice as likely to start smoking

Date:8/31/2007

>Still, the number of children smoking in the United States has dropped in the 10 years since the first two waves of the survey were completed. In 1995, about 35 percent of high school students smoked regularly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now about 23 percent of high-school age children reportedly smoke and 8 percent of middle school students do. The percentage of girls who smoke is slightly higher in both age groups, according to a 2006 CDC report on tobacco use among youth.

In the last decade there has been a decrease in smoking among adolescents, in part because of all the campaigns and policies against smoking, Maldonado-Molina said. On the other hand, the practices of dieting are going up in both females and males. We dont know if we did this study right now if that relationship between smoking and dieting is going to be stronger (among females) or different among males.

Smoking to suppress the appetite may be one reason why some dieting teens pick up the habit, Maldonado-Molina said. But nicotines ability to suppress the appetite may not be the only reason teenagers are more likely to smoke after they start dieting, said S. Bryn Austin, Sc.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of adolescent medicine at Childrens Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School.

Its also possible that dieting itself is making people more vulnerable to smoking, Austin said, noting that animal studies have shown a link between food deprivation using substances such as tobacco. If (animals) are extremely food-deprived, they will use more drugs.

Despite the link, Maldonado-Molina said parents shouldnt go on red alert if their child starts a diet. Some dieting practices, such as eating balanced meals, can be a part of a healthy lifestyle, she said.

This doesnt mean if your child starts dieting they are going to start smoking, she said. I think (parents should) be vigilant and talk about it.
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Contact: April Frawley Birdwell
afrawley@ufl.edu
352-273-5817
University of Florida
Source:Eurekalert

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Girls who begin dieting twice as likely to sta...(Still the number of children smoking in ...)