An empirical investigation of the impact of smoking on body weight using an endogenous treatment effects model approach: the role of food consumption patterns.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the influence of cigarette smoking and food consumption patterns on BMI after adjusting for various socio-demographic characteristics. Since weight-based stereotypes may have an impact on smoking behaviour and both obesity and smoking have been associated with detrimental health effects, an interdependency between them is quite possible. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected via a formal standardized questionnaire administered in personal interviews and two additional self-completion questionnaires from a random sample of 3471 German adults. The empirical framework considered potential endogeneity between smoking and body weight by employing an endogenous treatment effects model with an ordered outcome. The estimations derived from the endogenous treatment effects approach were also compared to the univariate ordered probit model results. RESULTS: Our findings showed that ignoring potential endogeneity may affect both the statistical significance of the smoking estimate and the direction of the influence of smoking on BMI. Smoking was positively associated with BMI in both male (ß = 1.236, p < 0.01) and female (ß = 0.634, p < 0.10) participants. Smokers presented a 23.1% higher risk of obesity and a 24.3% lower likelihood of being within a healthy weight range. Male smokers also appeared to have a considerably augmented probability of being obese compared to their female counterparts (23.6% vs 15.1%). The relationship between smoking and BMI may be attributed to dietary practices, since smoking was correlated with poor dietary habits characterized by the frequent intake of more energy-dense foods (meat products and white-toasted bread) and less frequent consumption of healthy food items, such as whole-grain bread, vegetables and fruits. Concerning the impact of eating habits on body weight, frequent consumption of meat products and confectionery was found to have a direct association with BMI in both genders. Furthermore, white-toasted bread consumption was negatively linked with body weight in males (ß = - 0.337, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings raised questions about the general belief that smoking is an effective weight control tool. Health interventions should be oriented toward a simultaneous decrease in smoking and obesity, since both behaviours seem to be interdependent. Nutrition programmes should also be designed according to the characteristics of different target groups in order to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Gen Z's Willingness to Adopt Plant-Based Diets: Empirical Evidence from Greece, India, and the UK.

Comprising the largest population cohort on this planet, Gen Z presents a future-oriented consumer segment driven by climate change and food. This study sought to investigate Gen Z's perceptions toward plant-based foods and diets and explore the relationship that attitude components, meal preparation involvement, personal and lifestyle factors, and perceived barriers in adopting a plant-based diet have with willingness to adopt green-eating practices. Using cross-sectional data from university students in Greece, India, and the UK, various tools were employed to determine the factors influencing youths' consumer behavior toward animal-protein substitutes. PCA indicated the underlying dimensions of students' viewpoints on plant-based foods, whereas hierarchical and k-means clustering provided the cluster structure. An ordered probit model was estimated to delineate Gen Z's willingness to adopt plant-based diets and distinguish among mostly unwilling, somewhat willing, and mostly willing youths. Our findings identified two consumer segments, namely proponents and opponents of plant-based foods and diets, with statistically significant differences in the perceived health benefits of plant-based diets, attachment to animal-based proteins, perceived exclusion of animal-based foods, dissatisfaction with plant-based foods' attributes, and demand for ensuring adequate protein intake. The ordered probit model estimates showed that there is a "homogeneity" in the factors influencing youths' intention to adopt plant-based diets, with attitude components, meal preparation indicators, perceived barriers to eating "green", and personal factors, such as self-assessed knowledge of healthy eating and physical activity, being strongly associated with students' willingness to switch to plant-based diets in all three countries. Mapping potential obstacles and enablers in terms of shifting to more green-eating behaviors, our findings could add information to better understand the factors affecting food choice and youths' transition to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Assessing the Interlinkage between Biodiversity and Diet through the Mediterranean Diet Case.

The adoption of healthy and sustainable diets and the transition to sustainable food systems is of principal importance in order to counteract the double burden of climate change and noncommunicable diseases. The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been widely recognized as a biodiversity and healthy nutrition resource to support sustainable development and food security. This study explored biodiversity in terms of food plants species, subspecies, varieties, and races, and also addressed food plant diversity differences between the MD and Western-type consumption patterns. It was funded by the EU BioValue Project, aiming to promote the integration of underutilized crops into the food value chains. Using a 2-stage scheme, data were selected from MEDUSA and Euro+Med databases (including 449 species, 2366 subspecies, varieties, and races). Furthermore, 12 countries from North Africa and Europe were classified in 2 groups according to their subregional attributes and their traditionally most prevalent dietary pattern (MD or Western-type diets). Statistical analysis showed that the mean of the majorly cultivated food plants in the MD was significantly higher than its counterpart in the Western diet. Furthermore, no statistical difference was detected in the averages of native food plants between the MD group and the Western diet group, implying that the higher diversity in food plants observed in the MD seems to be attributed to crop utilization rather than crop availability. Our findings indicated the interlinkage between biodiversity and prevailing dietary patterns and further underlined that biodiversity could constitute a prerequisite for dietary diversity and hence nutrition security. In addition, this study demonstrated that diets and nutrition should be approached in a broader way within the context of both agro-food and ecological systems.

Assessing the Aftermath of COVID-19 Outbreak in the Agro-Food System: An Exploratory Study of Experts' Perspectives.

The present study explored COVID-19 outbreak impacts on the food system in terms of agro-food production, distribution networks efficiency, and emerging food consumption patterns according to food experts' perspectives. Individual level data were selected from a sample of 59 executive managers of different domains representing agro-food businesses, agro-food cooperatives, and agro-food consulting firms and public institutions. The empirical analysis addressed the effects of the COVID-19 crisis to all the stages in the food chain and attempted to indicate the factors that could influence the trajectory from "farm to fork" under uncertain circumstances. Factor analysis elicited the underlying dimensions of experts' viewpoints toward the operation of the food system during COVID-19 pandemic. Data were also elaborated through hierarchical and k-means cluster analysis and the cluster structure was further validated by discriminant analysis. A two-cluster solution emerged, revealing differences in experts' perceptions toward the aftermath of the pandemic on agriculture (socioeconomic impacts on rural areas, impacts on agricultural production), food processing businesses (decline in the economic viability of food businesses, sharp economic downturn in the food industry, economic recession, incentives for innovation), food distribution networks (distribution channels fallout, food supply disruption), and consumers' food habits and preferences (increasing interest in health protection, adoption of unhealthy eating habits, demand for innovative and sustainable foods). These segments were identified as "skeptical food experts about COVID-19 impacts" (33.9%) and "alarmed food experts about COVID-19 impacts" (66.1%). Our findings highlighted the main disruptions that the food sector should overcome to meet consumer demand for safe and healthy food products and also ensure food availability and food system resiliency.

The Role of Snack Choices, Body Weight Stereotypes and Smoking Behavior in Assessing Risk Factors for Adolescent Overweight and Obesity.

This study investigated the relationship of behavioral factors, such as snack choices, obesity stereotypes and smoking with adolescents' body weight. Individual-level data for 1254 Greek youths were selected via a formal questionnaire. Snack choices seem to be gender specific with girls showing a stronger preference for healthier snacks. Frequent consumption of high-calorie and more filling snacks was found to increase Body Mass Index (BMI) in both genders. Fruit/vegetable snacks were associated with lower body weight in females, whereas cereal/nut snacks had a negative influence in males' BMI. The majority of participants expressed anti-fat attitudes and more boys than girls assigned positive attributes to lean peers. The endorsement of the thin-ideal was positively associated with the BMI of both adolescent boys and girls. This study also revealed that neglecting potential endogeneity issues can lead to biased estimates of smoking. Gender may be a crucial moderator of smoking-BMI relationships. Male smokers presented a higher obesity risk, whereas female smokers were more likely to be underweight. Nutrition professionals should pay attention to increase the acceptance of healthy snack options. Gender differences in the influence of weight stereotypes and smoking on BMI should be considered in order to enhance the efficacy of obesity prevention interventions.

Analyzing the Influence of Wine and Beer Drinking, Smoking, and Leisure Time Screen Viewing Activity on Body Weight: A Cross-Sectional Study in Germany.

The increasing global prevalence of overweight and obesity highlights an urgent need to explore modifiable obesogenic factors. This study investigated the impact of lifestyle factors, such as beer and wine drinking, cigarette smoking, and leisure time screen viewing activities, on body weight and the development of obesity. Individual level data were selected from a random sample of 3471 German adults using a two-stage disproportionate random sampling procedure. The empirical analysis employed a two-stage equations system and combined the endogenous treatment effects model with the quantile regression technique. Our estimations showed that the decisions to smoke and consume wine and beer were positively interrelated, especially in women. Frequent beer/wine drinkers of normal weight were found to have a lower BMI in the male subsample. Quantile regression estimates indicated a significant influence of smoking on BMI in both genders, with smokers' BMI following an upward trend, especially in the upper quantiles of the distribution. Leisure time screen activity was found to have a major impact on females' BMI. Prolonged television viewing and regular computer gaming had a strong relationship with weight increase in overweight women, whereas internet surfing was inversely correlated with the BMI of normal weight and slightly overweight female participants. Nutrition and health policies should direct individuals toward alternative recreational activities in order to substitute screen usage and reduce sedentary time. This study also raised doubts about the general belief that smokers have a lower body weight. As unhealthy behaviors usually co-occur or cluster together, obesity prevention interventions might also contribute to a decrease in smoking.

Investigating the influence of eating habits, body weight and television programme preferences on television viewing time and domestic computer usage.

BACKGROUND: The present study explored the influence of eating habits, body weight and television programme preference on television viewing time and domestic computer usage, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and home media environment indicators. In addition, potential substitution or complementarity in screen time was investigated. METHODS: Individual level data were collected via questionnaires that were administered to a random sample of 2,946 Germans. The econometric analysis employed a seemingly unrelated bivariate ordered probit model to conjointly estimate television viewing time and time engaged in domestic computer usage. RESULTS: Television viewing and domestic computer usage represent two independent behaviours in both genders and across all age groups. Dietary habits have a significant impact on television watching with less healthy food choices associated with increasing television viewing time. Body weight is found to be positively correlated with television screen time in both men and women, and overweight individuals have a higher propensity for heavy television viewing. Similar results were obtained for age groups where an increasing body mass index (BMI) in adults over 24 years old is more likely to be positively associated with a higher duration of television watching. With respect to dietary habits of domestic computer users, participants aged over 24 years of both genders seem to adopt more healthy dietary patterns. A downward trend in the BMI of domestic computer users was observed in women and adults aged 25-60 years. On the contrary, young domestic computer users 18-24 years old have a higher body weight than non-users. Television programme preferences also affect television screen time with clear differences to be observed between genders and across different age groups. CONCLUSIONS: In order to reduce total screen time, health interventions should target different types of screen viewing audiences separately.

Public support toward tobacco control: consumer responsiveness and policy planning.

OBJECTIVES: To explore individual differences in support toward antismoking policies by investigating psychosocial, socioeconomic, and demographic characteristics; smoking restrictions; smoking status; and individually perceived cigarette price. METHODS: The empirical analysis uses data from a random sample of 680 consumers and employs a bivariate semiordered probit model. RESULTS: Consumer responsiveness shows strong association with optimistic bias, perceived positive and negative consequences of smoking, health status, and family smoking patterns. Smoking status, gender, age, and occupation also affect antismoking policy support. CONCLUSIONS: Public support toward tobacco control reflects potential smoking acceptance and social norms, confirming policy effectiveness and current needs for demarketing tobacco use.