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The effects of changes in smoking prevalence on obesity prevalence in the United States

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  • Flegal, K.M.

Abstract

Objectives. Reduction of cigarette smoking is an important public health goal. However, lower smoking prevalence may be associated with increased obesity prevalence. I sought to estimate the effect of decreases in smoking prevalence on obesity prevalence in the United States population. Methods. I combined current weight data by smoking status from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with smoking prevalence data from past NHANES surveys to estimate weight status had smoking prevalence not changed. Results. Even relatively large changes in the prevalence of smoking were estimated to have little effect on obesity prevalence. For example, if smoking prevalence in 1999-2002 were at the higher 1971-1975 smoking level, the estimated 1999-2002 obesity prevalence would be 22.5% rather than the actual value of 23.9%, a difference of only 1.4 percentage points. Estimates for other weight categories were similarly small. Conclusions. Decreases in the prevalence of cigarette smoking probably had only a small effect, often less than 1 percentage point, on increasing the prevalence of obesity and decreasing the prevalence of healthy weight in the population.

Suggested Citation

  • Flegal, K.M., 2007. "The effects of changes in smoking prevalence on obesity prevalence in the United States," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(8), pages 1510-1514.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2005.084343_4
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.084343
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    Cited by:

    1. James Nonnemaker & Eric Finkelstein & Mark Engelen & Thomas Hoerger & Matthew Farrelly, 2009. "Have Efforts To Reduce Smoking Really Contributed To The Obesity Epidemic?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 47(2), pages 366-376, April.
    2. L. Pieroni & L. Salmasi, 2015. "Does Cigarette Smoking Affect Body Weight? Causal Estimates from the Clean Indoor Air Law Discontinuity," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 82(328), pages 671-704, October.
    3. Pieroni, Luca & Salmasi, Luca, 2012. "Smoking habit changes and body weight: causal estimates from the British Household Panel Survey," MPRA Paper 43465, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Frijters, Paul & Barón, Juan D., 2009. "Do the Obese Really Die Younger or Do Health Expenditures Buy Them Extra Years?," IZA Discussion Papers 4149, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Pieroni, Luca & Salmasi, Luca, 2010. "Body weight and socio-economic determinants: quantile estimations from the British Household Panel Survey," ISER Working Paper Series 2010-41, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    6. Aliaksandr Amialchuk & Kateryna Bornukova & Mir M. Ali, 2018. "Will a Decline in Smoking Increase Body Weights? Evidence from Belarus," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 44(2), pages 190-210, April.
    7. Etile, Fabrice, 2014. "Education policies and health inequalities: Evidence from changes in the distribution of Body Mass Index in France, 1981–2003," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 13(C), pages 46-65.
    8. Aliaksandr Amialchuk & Kateryna Bornukova & Mir M. Ali, 2012. "Smoking and Obesity Revisited: Evidence from Belarus," BEROC Working Paper Series 19, Belarusian Economic Research and Outreach Center (BEROC).
    9. Karen Smith Conway & David P. Niles, 2017. "Cigarette Taxes, Smoking—and Exercise?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(8), pages 1019-1036, August.
    10. Fang, Hai & Ali, Mir M. & Rizzo, John A., 2009. "Does smoking affect body weight and obesity in China?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 334-350, December.
    11. Pieroni, Luca & Salmasi, Luca, 2016. "The effect of smoking habit changes on body weight: Evidence from the UK," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 1-13.
    12. Todeschini, F. & Labeaga, J. & Jiménez-Martín, S., 2010. "Death by lung cancer or by diabetes? The unintended consequences of quitting smoking," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 10/16, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.

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