09/10/2001

SEATTLE - A new study finds people married to smokers face another risk - not from what they breathe but what they eat.

The findings of a new study show people married to smokers may have increased health risk as much from their poor eating habits as from exposure to second-hand smoke.

Researchers studied more than 450 nonsmoking men and women married to smokers and compared them with more than 1,500 non-smoking couples.

Among the findings: non-smokers married to smokers tend to eat diets higher in cholesterol, saturated, and total fat and lower in fiber and antioxidants than non-smoking couples. They also drink more alcohol and consume higher amounts of caffeine, and tend to consume significantly less vitamin a, calcium, and other nutrients.

While increased health risks of non-smokers married to smokers is well-documented, past research has shown along with exposure to second-hand smoke, a non-smoker may adopt other similar lifestyle behaviors of their smoking spouse. But this is the first study to show they are also at risk for poor eating habits.

Researchers say smokers are exposed to such high doses of free radicals that their diet likely has relatively little effect on their already increased risk of chronic diseases, such as congestive heart failure and lung cancer.