"Engeland goes smoke free" is what was announced on a typical London bus I passed when I walked on Oxford Street towards a World Cancer Research Fund Grant Panel meeting last Tuesday. Following the example of countries like Ireland, Norway and Italy, From July 31, 2007 on, England will ban smoking from all 'enclosed public places' and workplaces, including restaurants. Also in the Netherlands it has been announced that restaurants will have to become smoke free within the near future.
This is very good news for public health: people will be less exposed to second hand smoke. It is also very good news for people who enjoy eating good food in a restaurant unspoiled by a smoky environment.
Within Europe, England has one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity.
This same week the National Statistics Bureau of the Netherlands published their latest findings related to smoking and smoking cessation in the Netherlands (see http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/gezondheid-welzijn/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2007/2007-2204-wm.htm). People in the Netherlands who have stopped smoking are 3.6 K heavier than people who have continued smoking. Never-smokers are a bit heavier than smokers but have a lower mean body weight than ex-smokers.
Earlier research has shown that people who eat out more, have a somewhat higher mean body weight...
Policy measures to discourage smoking are much needed since smoking is still the most improtant determinant of preventable burden of disease. But obesity is a close runner-up. Will measures against smoking further increase obesity rates?
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