Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

LIVE: Thursday 2nd May 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

Quality sleep is essential for health. But what happens to our brains when sleep patterns are disturbed? Join our experts to explore the interplay between sleep disruption and neurological diseases, and the questions that you need to be asking your patients to help you prevent the harmful effects of sleep deprivation.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

Smoking and body weight: evidence from China health and nutrition survey

Author: Qing Wang

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2015

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The effects of cigarette smoking on body weight remain inconclusive. This study evaluated this relationship using the latest data from China, the largest consumer market of tobacco in the world, which is also experiencing a steady increase in patients with obesity.

Methods

Using data obtained from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) 1991–2011, Logit Model and Two-Stage Residual Inclusion (2SRI) estimation were applied. Local tobacco yield was considered as instrument variable for smoking behavior and corrected for endogeneity.

Results

Smoking increased the likelihood of being underweight by 0.9 % and healthy weight by 5.3 %, while the likelihood of overweight and obesity decreased by 6.5 %, of which obesity reduced by 5.1 %. After correcting for endogeneity, the results were consistent and stronger. Cigarette smoking increased the likelihood of being underweight by 2.7 % and healthy weight by 12.7 %, while it decreased the likelihood of overweight and obesity by 13 %, of which obesity reduced by 10 %.

Conclusion

Smoking induced heterogeneous effects on body weight. Smoking had a positive effect on underweight and healthy weight, while a negative effect on overweight and obesity. Tobacco control interventions may lead to weight loss among healthy subjects, while the effects on obese subjects were not obvious as expected.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Wu Y, Huxley R, Li M, Ma J. The growing burden of overweight and obesity in contemporary China. CVD Prevention Control. 2009;4(1):19–26.CrossRef
2.
Jitnarin N, Kosulwat V, Rojroongwasinkul N, Boonpraderm A, Haddock CK, Poston W. The relationship between smoking, body weight, body mass index, and dietary intake among Thai adults. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2014;26:481–93.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Plurphanswat N, Rodu B. The association of smoking and demographic characteristics on body mass index and obesity among adults in the U.S., 1999–2012. BMC Obesity. 2014;1(1):1–9.CrossRef
4.
Chou SY, Grossman M, Saffer H. An economic analysis of adult obesity: results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. J Health Econ. 2004;23(3):565–87.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Rashad I, Grossman M. The economics of obesity. Public Interest. 2004;156:104–13.
6.
Baum CL. The effects of cigarette costs on BMI and obesity. Health Econo. 2009;18(1):3–19.CrossRef
7.
Ward KD, Ahn S, Mzayek F, Rastam S, Asfar T, Fouad F, et al. The relationship between waterpipe smoking and body weight: population-based findings from Syria. Nicotine Tob Res. 2015;17(1):34–40.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Guerra F, Stringhini S, Vollenweider P, Marques-Vidal P. Socio-demographic and behavioural determinants of weight gain in the Swiss population. BMC Public Health. 2015;15.
9.
Gruber J, Frakes M. Does falling smoking lead to rising obesity? J Health Econ. 2006;25(2):183–97.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Cawley J, Markowitz S, Tauras J. Lighting up and slimming down: the effects of body weight and cigarette prices on adolescent smoking initiation. J Health Econ. 2004;23(2):293–311.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Cawley J, Markowitz S, Tauras J. Obesity, cigarette prices, youth access laws and adolescent smoking initiation. Eastern Econ J. 2006;32(1):149–70.
12.
Nonnemaker J, Finkelstein E, Engelen M, Hoerger T, Farrelly M. Have efforts to reduce smoking really contributed to the obesity epidemic? Econ Inq. 2009;47(2):366–76.CrossRef
13.
14.
Sherrill-Mittleman D, Klesges RC, Massey V, Vander Weg MW, DeBon M. Relationship between smoking status and body weight in a military population of young adults. Addict Behav. 2009;34(4):400–2.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Fang H, Ali MM, Rizzo JA. Does smoking affect body weight and obesity in China? Econ Hum Biol. 2009;7(3):334–50.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Wehby GL, Murray JC, Wilcox A, Lie RT. Smoking and body weight: evidence using genetic instruments. Econ Hum Biol. 2012;10(2):113–26.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Stadler M, Tomann L, Storka A, Wolzt M, Peric S, Bieglmayer C, et al. Effects of smoking cessation on β-cell function, insulin sensitivity, body weight, and appetite. Euro J Endo. 2014;170(2):219–7.CrossRef
18.
Chen VR, Bozinovski SJ, Anderson GP, Morris MJ. Effect of short-term cigarette smoke exposure on body weight, appetite and brain neuropeptide Y in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005;30(4):713–9.PubMed
19.
Chen VR, Bozinovski SJ, Anderson GP, Morris MJ. Long-term cigarette smoke exposure increases uncoupling protein expression but reduces energy intake. Brain Res. 2008;1228:81–8.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Burkhauser RV, Cawley J. Beyond BMI: the value of more accurate measures of fatness and obesity in social science research. J Health Econ. 2008;27(2):519–29.CrossRefPubMed
21.
22.
Wooldridge JM. Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press; 2001.
23.
Rees DI, Sabia JJ. Body weight and smoking initiation: evidence from add health. J Health Econ. 2012;29(5):774–7.CrossRef
24.
Terza JV, Basu A, Rathouz PJ. Two-stage residual inclusion estimation: addressing endogeneity in health econometric modeling. J Health Econ. 2008;27(3):531–43.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Efron B. Bootstrap methods: another look at the jackknife. Ann Stat. 1979;7(1):1–26.CrossRef
26.
27.
Vargas MA, Campos RR. Crop substitution and diversification strategies:empirical evidence from selected Brazilian municipalities. Washington DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction Development, The World Bank; 2005.
28.
Lupu N. Toward a new articulation of alternative development: lessons from Coca supply reduction in Bolivia. Deve Pol Rev. 2004;22(4):405–21.CrossRef
29.
IHME. Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2014. doi:10.​1016/​S0140-6736(14)61682-2
30.
31.
Godtfredsen NS, Prescott E, Osler M. Effect of smoking reduction on lung cancer risk. JAMA. 2005;294(12):1505–10.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Smoking and body weight: evidence from China health and nutrition survey
Author
Qing Wang
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2549-9

Other articles of this Issue 1/2015

BMC Public Health 1/2015 Go to the issue

Research article

Associations between e-cigarette access and smoking and drinking behaviours in teenagers

Research article

Bicycle-related hospitalizations at a Taiwanese level I Trauma Center

Research article

Current state and trends of access to sanitation in Ethiopia and the need to revise indicators to monitor progress in the Post-2015 era

Research article

Evaluating brief motivational and self-regulatory hand hygiene interventions: a cross-over longitudinal design

Research article

Monthly variations in self-report of time-specified and typical alcohol use: The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3)

Research article

Exposure to 3G mobile phone signals does not affect the biological features of brain tumor cells