Smoking is a habit that’s tough to break once you start. It can lead to a range of serious health issues such as lung cancer, COPD, and emphysema.
Smoking cigars or cigarettes is quite unhealthy, but being obese is another problem that can cause a range of dangerous health conditions for people of all ages.
When thinking about the health risks of obesity vs smoking, which of the two is worse for your body? Read on to learn why both of these can be a threat to your health, and which one is more deadly.
Smoking and Your Health
Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health, yet people continue to smoke – many throughout their lifetime. According to the CDC, one in every five deaths in the United States is caused by smoking every year.
Long-time smokers can develop a variety of serious conditions including heart disease, cancer, and lung diseases. Smoking is also known to contribute to macular degeneration, resulting in problems with eyesight.
If you smoke, it has the potential to decrease your life expectancy by an average of 10 years. The threat to health depends on how much you smoke daily, and for how long.
Those who smoke are approximately three times more likely to due than their nonsmoking counterparts of the same age. It’s not just cigarettes that can cause problems. Other tobacco products like cigars, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes can also contribute to negative health effects.
Besides those who smoke, breathing in secondhand smoke can affect others who don’t smoke. Pregnant women, people with high blood pressure, and those with pre-existing lung conditions can experience negative health effects as a result of secondhand smoke.
Thankfully, better education and a reduction in marketing by cigarette manufacturers are resulting in fewer smokers. Fewer teenagers and young adults are smoking than they have in the past.
Obesity: A Public Health Crisis
While smoking has direct effects on health, obesity also plays a role in shortening life expectancy. A study conducted in 2019 observed approximately 450,000 people who were overweight. This excess weight led to a variety of serious and often chronic health concerns.
Being obese may lead to a range of issues including a higher risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, and type 1 and 2 diabetes. It may also lead to chronic liver disease and the development of a variety of cancers.
Those within the age ranges of 40 to 45 who are obese may have an eight to 10-year reduction in life expectancy. Eating processed foods, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and genetics are just a few contributing factors to obesity.
Since obesity is so widespread, it’s also a public health crisis. Those who are obese spend a much larger amount of money on a variety of medical treatments and care. Obese children and adults also visit healthcare professionals much more often than those who are not.
The percentage of obese people in the United States has been increasing since 1980. The repercussions are still not entirely known since many health conditions can take years to develop.
A lack of exercise is a common cause of obesity. With more desk jobs, public transportation, and developments in technology, fewer people are going outside and getting the exercise they need.
Obesity vs Smoking: Which is Worse?
Smoking is confirmed to be a serious health risk. This habit has been deemed a health threat for decades. However, obesity is just now becoming a more widely recognized threat to human health.
The obesity problem affects a higher number of people than smoking, alcohol consumption, and poverty. Therefore, smoking vs obesity statistics put obesity at the top of the list.
Smoking and being obese at the same time increases your risk of a variety of diseases and long-term health conditions. The difference is that obesity can lead to a much wider range of problems. Smoking has a much more defined, targeted effect on health.
If you smoke and you are obese, your health risks increase significantly. People who smoke can start by quitting as soon as possible to reduce the chances of heart attack or stroke.
Thankfully, there is a “cure” for obesity in most cases. With regular exercise and a healthy diet, people can lose weight and get their BMI to a healthy level.
People with a high BMI (Body Mass Index) are much more susceptible to a variety of deadly health issues. Those who smoke are at high risk of developing lung cancer, throat cancer, or having a heart attack.
It’s easier for doctors to determine the cause of death for patients who develop cancer or other health problems as a result of smoking. However, obese people may die as a result of many different diseases. For both, the health care costs of smoking vs obesity are equally high.
In many cases, it’s difficult to determine whether someone died directly as a result of being obese. Therefore, while obesity affects more people, it’s also more difficult to determine a definitive statistic.
When it comes to obesity vs smoking, both are bad for the human body. The jury is still out as to whether smoking or obesity causes more deaths.
Hope For a Healthy Life
Smoking and being overweight are both problems that can be addressed with a change in lifestyle. When looking at obesity vs smoking, both are dangerous to human health in their own unique way.
If you smoke, quit as soon as possible. If you’re obese, it’s never too late to start developing healthier eating and exercise habits so you can lose weight.
For more health and sports insights when you need them, visit our website today.
