Smoking girls no thinner

"Smoking is not associated with any difference in weight (or height) in girls," said Igor Karp, a researcher in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at McGill University in Montreal.

The study included 1 300 female and male students in Montreal who were 12 or 13 years old at the start of the study. They were followed for five years. The study found that 73 percent of the girls and 42 percent of the boys smoked.

The researchers also found that boys who smoke are thinner and shorter than those who don't smoke, which suggests that smoking actually stunts boys' growth, the Globe and Mail reported.

Smoking didn't seem to affect girls' height. This may be because girls reach puberty at an earlier age than boys and their growth spurt likely comes before they start smoking, Karp said.

The study was presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Vancouver. – (HealthDayNews)

October 2006