First you start dieting, then you start…smoking?

girl smoking

Yup, it may seem weird, but there has actually been a correlation found between these two habits that are characteristic of many college girls; constant dieting and smoking.

Although smoking rates have gone down in the U.S. (thank God because it’s absolutely disgusting in my opinion), a new study from the University of Florida reports that starting to diet somehow doubles the odds of a teenage girl starting to smoke as well. Although the study was done on girls slightly younger than college age, I think the findings are implicit of our generation too.

According to one of the researchers, “Dieting was a significant predictor of initiation of regular smoking among females…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.”

Duh.

I would say that the appetite factor is one of the main reasons many college girls start smoking. I can name three people off the top of my head that were not smokers at the beginning of college and eventually became one of those stick thin girls pulling out a cigarette the second she gets out the door of any building.

The chain of events goes something like this:

1) Girl feels fat at college

2) Girl cuts back on eating

3) Girl starts losing weight

4) Girl gets compliments and attention due to her thinning figure

5) Girl freaks out about how she is going to maintain this weight loss

6) Girl realizes cigarettes suppress appetite

7) Girl, being disillusioned by lack of food, decides the weight loss benefits of smoking will outweigh all the other horrible hazards
POOF! Girl is now a smoker!

The study offered up some more interesting facts regarding dieting and smoking in females as well…

One of the researchers said that it’s possible that dieting itself makes people more vulnerable to smoking because animal studies have shown if creatures are extremely food-deprived, they will use more drugs.

Makes sense, right? Most people gain some sort of pleasure from satisfying their hunger, so if people can’t do that then they would try to get their satisfaction from another source, like drugs?

Okay, okay, I’m not saying that anyone who is hungry will become a druggie. But, I just don’t think it’s so far-fetched of an idea.

Moral of the story: Put down the cigarette and go eat a SANDWICH.

dili says:
Wed, 5th Sep 200711:54 pm

See we smokers are tired of everyone ganging up on us. I’ve been a smoker for 4 years now. And I didnt start smoking to loose waight or anything. It is true though, you do loose some waight when you start smoking. But you have to be a chain smoker to be doing it for loosing waight.

My opinion is, if you wanna loose waight, dont smoke. Cus you’ll be out of breath after 5 pushups. And you loose waight so much faster by exercise.

anyways. I smoke just becuase I like smoking. We all know how bad it is. But there is alot of other stuff people eat and drink that are bad for you as well. I dont see anyone complaining when someone gets addicted to diet pepsi or whatever. I’m just tired of people telling me its bad for me and I’m ganna die. The funny thing is 50% of the people who tell me that, are addicted to weed and coke. I think that is much more disgusting then cigrattes.

Chris says:
Fri, 14th Sep 20075:47 pm

My God, dili, learn to spell “lose weight”!!!!!

I just hope that smoking keeps decreasing in America… personally, I dislike it, but I’m not one to enforce my beliefs on another person. Smoke if you want to destroy your insides and smell horrible, just stay away from me. I can’t stand cigarette smoke, nor would I want to kiss an ashtray.

Rc says:
Sun, 16th Sep 200711:06 pm

OH MY GOD.. what are they teaching in americas public schools???? this person called dili cannot spell ANYTHING. good god… of course he/she smokes because he/she has no comprehension of the real threats of smoking- coz probably- he/she can BARELY READ!

i hope he/she finds a place to get educated in the VERY REAL THREATS OF SMOKING.

Charlie says:
Tue, 1st Apr 200811:23 pm

You stupid fuck. Why do you put your own warped sense of what’s right in your (assumable) realistic thesis.

Makes you look like a dumb shit.

For instance, I’m WAAAAY more attracted to chicks that smoke than girls that don’t.

And it’s pretty obvious at my college that most of the prettiest girls, including most of the cheerleaders, smoke.

Lucy says:
Mon, 7th Jul 20086:13 pm

Excuse you, Rc but I happen to smoke and I consider myself moderately intelligent. There’s no reason to stereotype smokers as idiots since I know some smart smokers and some dumb non-smokers and vice-versa.

Anyhoo, this article is another one of those no-shit stories where government money has been wasted doing a pointless study. It is common knowledge that smoking decreases appetite (although I question how much). I think what it really is that if you have a cigarette in your mouth, you’re not eating. For instance, some people chew gum instead of eating…replacing one habit with another. It does work, though.