The effects of cigarette smoking on abdominal fatness

Kim, Jong Ho; Kim, Hee Young; Song, Chun Hwa; Lee, Keun Mi; Jeung, Seung Pil

Abstract

BACKGROUND
With increase in the prevalence of obesity in recent years, much inferest has focused on obesity nowdays. Inerease in abdominal fatness raises mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular disease and there is some possibility that smoking has effect on obesity. We evaluated the influence of smoking on abdominal fatness. METHOD: This study was carried out on 475 individuals who visited the Health Promotion Center in Youngnam University Hospital in May, 1999. The subjects were checked on age, sex, life style (smoking, drinking, physical activity, exercise, etc.), past medical history, blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, body fat percent and other obesity indexes.
RESULTS
In men, waist circumference (P<0.01), body fat percent (P<0.05), waist hip ratio (p<0.01) were significantly increased according to the amount of smoking after adjustment for BMI, age, alcohol intake, exercise and physical activity. But, the waist circumference, waist to hip ratio and percent body fat of mild smoker were rather shorter than that of the non-smoker or one who abstained from smoking.
CONCLUSION
In men, it seems that obesity index of abdominal fatness may be significantly high in moderate to heavy smokers and low in mild smokers.