A new study has suggested that overweight or obese teenagers are likelier to become regular smokers as compared to average weight teens. The study based on based on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health showed a correlation between high body mass index (BMI) and cigarette smoking in young adulthood. Lead author H. Isabella Lanza Ph.D. research associate with the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs in Los Angeles said that young people smoked cigarettes for a variety of reasons. Lanza said that for overweight or obese adolescents the increased desire to improve social standing or fit in with
