Smoking as a weight-control strategy and its relationship to smoking status

Abstract

This investigation assessed the use of cigarettes for weight control and the relative impact of weight-control smoking and dietary restraint on current smoking status and future intent to quit smoking in 221 smokers and ex-smokers. We found that weight-control smokers were more likely to gain weight in previous quit attempts, had less formal education, scored higher on dietary restraint, and reported higher weight among biologic parents. Females who gained weight in previous cessation attempts were also more likely to be weight-control smokers. Current smoking was predicted by decreasing age, weight-control issues, lower dietary restraint, less education, more cigarettes smoked per day, less obesity in parents, and more cessation attempts. Females with higher relative weights were more likely to be smokers than males with less relative weight. The results indicated that the number of fewer prior quit attempts, higher levels of weight-control smoking, and increasing age predicted plans not to quit smoking. These results have important implications for those subjects at risk for continued smoking.