Dieting Girls More Likely to Smoke

Dieting teenage girls are the ones most likely to start smoking, according to a University of Florida study.

UF researchers, who analyzed dieting and smoking habits of 8,000 adolescents, were not surprised. “We were expecting that this relationship was going to be stronger among females.  That has been well-documented, especially because (nicotine) can suppress your appetite,” said Mildred Maldonado-Molina, a UF assistant professor of epidemiology and health policy research and lead author of the study.

However, “this doesn’t mean if your child starts dieting they are going to start smoking,” she said. “I think (parents should) be vigilant and talk about it.  It’s looking for those changes in behavior.”

Read more about this study by going to the University of Florida website.