Nine million Americans with double whammy of obesity and smoking

May 15 2006

According to new research from the American Legacy Foundation as many as nine million adults in the United States are affected by both obesity and smoking, two of the nation's top public health epidemics.

The research also suggests that though this figure might appear low compared to the millions of Americans affected by smoking and obesity independently, smoking and obesity in combination greatly impact America's most disadvantaged populations i.e. those who are the least educated and those in the lowest income bracket.

The research shows that more than 2.3 million Americans with income levels of less than $20,000 both smoke and are obese.

It is widely acknowledged that smoking and obesity are two of the major causes of death and illness in the Unites States, but until now the overlap between the two conditions has never been measured.

The American Legacy Foundation examined data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey.The foundation which focuses on helping smokers who want to quit and preventing youth from starting to smoke wanted to estimate the number of adults in the U.S. who both smoke and are obese.

According to the report 81 million Americans were smokers, obese, or both in 2000, and an estimated nine million Americans were obese and smoked.

The two conditions, independently, are particularly high among people from lower socio-economic levels and it is of concern that those who are affected by both smoking and obesity, also come from disadvantaged populations, those with lower income (2.3 million) as well as African Americans (1.6 million).

The researchers say the combination of these two conditions may pose an even greater health risks to these groups.

Dr. Cheryl Healton, foundation president and CEO says as a public health foundation, they believe the research can be used to guide the development of effective prevention and treatment, given the elevated risks these populations face due to their current smoking and obesity.

According to recent figures over 400,000 Americans die each year from tobacco- related illness, including cancers, heart disease and stroke; overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many of those same diseases and health conditions.

The American Legacy Foundation says these factors pose a public health problem and demonstrate the dire need for resources, from quit smoking clinics, to consumer call lines, to effective education campaigns, to be made available for anyone who wants to quit smoking.

Dr. Healton says the research demonstrates that further action is needed to develop treatment options for obese smokers and demonstrates a clear need for programs specifically serving African Americans and people from lower income and education levels.

The foundation says treatments for people who smoke and who are obese need to be investigated, and clinical trials are needed to monitor the effects of programs aimed at simultaneously stopping smoking and weight control.

The results they say could then be used to develop policies for prevention and treatment.

The American Legacy Foundation is located in Washington, DC, and develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, through grants, technical assistance and training, youth activism, strategic partnerships, counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns, public relations and outreach to populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco.

The report is available online at http://bmj.bmjjournals.com and will be published in the British Medical Journal in it's June edition.