Obesity Outranks Smoking in Losing Quality of Life

Boston (DbTechNo) – Results of a new study find that obesity can pose greater dangers when it comes to quality of life than those associated with smoking.

Smoking is very bad for one’s health, increasing risk of serious health problems including heart attacks, strokes, hypertention, and worst of all, lung cancer.

Obesity comes with its own set of health risks, including diabetes and hypertention, heart attacks, and various joint ailments.

Over the last decade, the rate of smoking in America may have dropped, but the rate of obesity is on the rise, with no slow down in site.

According to the study, between the years of 1993 to 2008, the smoking rate fell by more than 18% but the rate of obesity jumped by a staggering 85 percent.

“Because of the marked increase in the proportion of obese people, obesity has become an equal, if not greater contributor to the burden of disease than smoking,” wrote researcher Haomiao Jia, PhD, of Columbia University, and colleagues. “Such data are essential in setting targets for reducing modifiable health risks and eliminating health disparities.”

The study is published in the American Journal of Preventive Health,

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