Associations of Cigarette Smoking with General and Abdominal Obesity Risks among Men in Taiwan

Abstract Obesity and smoking are two major public health challenges, both contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study investigates the association between smoking behaviors and obesity among men in Taiwan, focusing on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as indicators of general and abdominal obesity. The sample consisted of 27,908 men categorized into five groups based on their smoking status: never smoking (NS), former smoking (FS), light-intensity smoking (LIS), moderate-intensity smoking (MIS), and heavy-intensity smoking (HIS). Our findings reveal a significant association between smoking and increased obesity risk, particularly among light- and moderate-intensity smokers. Socioeconomic factors such as education and income levels were also found to influence these behaviors. These results underscore the importance of integrated public health strategies that address both smoking cessation and obesity prevention.