A study released today suggesting that quitting smoking is a major factor In causing obesity shouldn't scare people out of quitting, nor further encourage young girls to take up smoking in the hopes remaining slim, says Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a national antismoking organization.

The study apparently notes that many people quit smoking during the past decade, and that during the some period of time there was a significant Increase In obesity.

But that certainly doesn't prove that one is the cause of the other, since during that same time there was also an Increase in rape, Interracial marriage, as well as in the size of the hole in the ozone layer, says John Banzhaf, ASH's Executive Director, and an expert in statistical analysis.

Indeed, says Banzhaf, while prior studies have shown that there may bo a minor incroaso In weight when at person initially gives up smoking, the studies suggest that it is both small and temporary, and that quitters frequently return to their initial weight after their bodies adjust to the change.

Moreover, some people who finally manage to quit smoking do so as part of an overall change to a healthier lifestyle, with a resulting decrease In the consumption of empty calories and an increase in exercise - all of which tends to lead to a healthier, trimmer, and more fit Individual.

Young girls already seem to be most prone to take up smoking In the hopes of keeping their weight down, a tendency which Is strongly encouraged by brand names emphasizing slimness, slim cigarettes, and slim female models In cigarette ads.

Parents should take special care to see that their daughters do not misinterpret this now study as an endorsement of this very dangerous practice, warns Banzhaf.

He also notes that even the authors of the now study acknowledge that being overweight is far less dangerous that being a smoker.

ASH - ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH 2013 H Street, NW / Washington, DC 20006 / (202) 659-4310