Obesity Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Obesity, including details on health, diet, prevention, exercise.

Smoking, obesity, and their co-occurrence in the United States: cross sectional analysis.

Healton CG, Vallone D, McCausland KL, Xiao H, Green MP

Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA. chealton@americanlegacy.org

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of obesity, smoking, and both health risk factors together among adults in the United States. DESIGN: Cross sectional analysis of a national health interview survey. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: 29 305 adults (aged > or = 18) in 2002. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of adults who are obese (body mass index > or = 30), who smoke, and who are obese and smoke. Prevalence was stratified by age, sex, ethnic group, education, and income. RESULTS: 23.5% of adults were obese, 22.7% smoked, and 4.7% smoked and were obese. CONCLUSIONS: Although the proportion of adults who smoke and are obese is relatively low, this subgroup is concentrated among lower socioeconomic groups.

Published 30 June 2006 in BMJ, 333(7557): 25-6.
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