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Cigarette smoking as a dieting strategy in a university population
Author(s) -
Klesges Robert C.,
Klesges Lisa M.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(198805)7:3<413::aid-eat2260070314>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - dieting , overweight , weight gain , population , smoking cessation , demography , medicine , weight loss , weight control , body weight , psychology , obesity , environmental health , pathology , sociology
The present study sought to determine the prevalence of smoking as a dieting strategy in a university population. There were 1076 people (458 males, 618 females) asked (1) the types of strategies they used to curb hunger (including smoking) and (2) whether they either began smoking or were currently smoking as a weight loss/maintenance strategy. Results indicated that 32.5% of all smokers (n = 209; 39% of females, 25% of males) reported using smoking as a weight loss strategy. A small percentage of smokers (10% of males, 5% of females) reported beginning to smoke for weight control. Overweight females were much more likely, however, to report that they started smoking for dieting reasons. Females were much more likely to report weight gain as a relapse variable than males. It is concluded that weight gain following smoking cessation, particularly among females, may be a significant relapse variable as well as a significant barrier to smoking cessation.