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The female weight-control smoker: a profile
C S Pomerleau1, E Ehrlich, J C Tate
1University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor.
Journal of Substance Abuse
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Certain female smokers, termed weight-control smokers, may use nicotine to manage eating behaviors. Abstinence from nicotine can reveal a tendency toward increased hunger and disordered eating patterns in this subgroup.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Addiction Medicine
- Nutritional Psychiatry
Background:
- Nicotine's impact on appetite is well-documented.
- Subgroups of smokers may exhibit distinct relationships between smoking and eating behaviors.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a potential subgroup of female smokers (weight-control smokers, WC) who use nicotine to manage hyperphagia or disordered eating.
- To compare WC smokers with non-weight-control smokers (NWC) on smoking and eating variables.
- To examine the link between weight-control smoking and withdrawal symptoms during nicotine abstinence.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of WC (n=46) and NWC (n=52) female smokers on smoking and eating variables.
- Assessment of cognitive restraint and disinhibition using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire.
- Examination of smoking-related variables and withdrawal symptomatology during 48-hour nicotine abstinence (n=23).
Main Results:
- WC smokers reported significantly more weight gain and increased hunger during abstinence compared to NWC smokers.
- WC smokers scored higher on cognitive restraint and disinhibition.
- Nicotine abstinence precipitated increased eating in weight-control smokers, unlike NWC smokers.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest weight-control smokers utilize both dietary restraint and smoking to manage weight.
- Nicotine abstinence may trigger disinhibited or binge eating episodes in WC smokers.
- Targeted treatment strategies may benefit women vulnerable to eating issues managed by nicotine.