The prospective relationships between smoking and weight in a young, biracial cohort: The coronary artery risk development in young adults study

This study examined the relationship between smoking status and weight chan ge from baseline to Year 7 in a large biracial cohort, the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Unadjusted for covariates, only mal e smokers weighed less than nonsmokers, with no effect among women. Adjuste d for covariates, male and female smokers weighed less than nonsmokers at b aseline, adjusted for age, total energy intake, alcohol intake, and physica l fitness; Over the 7-year follow-up, all smoking status groups gained weig ht, including continuous smokers and initiators. Weight gain was greatest a mong those who quit smoking. Weight gain attributable to smoking cessation was 4.2 kg for Whites and 6.6 kg for Blacks. Smoking had a small weight-att enuating effect on Blacks. No such effects, however, were observed among Wh ites. These results suggest, at least in younger smokers, that smoking has minimal impact on body weight.