Can lifestyle factors explain why body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio increase with increasing tobacco consumption? The Inter99 study

Daily smokers had a significantly lower BMI and significantly higher WH ratio than never smokers (P<0.001).

• Unhealthy lifestyle factors, such as dietary quality and physical activity, increased with higher tobacco consumption.
• Both BMI and waist-to-hip ratio increased with greater tobacco use.
• Sociodemographic factors largely explained the association between waist-to-hip ratio and tobacco consumption.
• The increase in BMI associated with heavier smoking could not be fully explained by either sociodemographic or lifestyle factors.
• The relationship between BMI and tobacco consumption is noted to be complex.

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