Obesity vs. smoking: What's worse?

[ardubz]

By "what's worse", I mean which will more often lead to death (or generally terrible quality of life) by unnatural causes?

Compare a moderate smoker (10cig/day?) vs. someone who is moderately obese (not sure on the numbers here, ~300lbs?), and a heavy smoker (pack+/day) vs. someone who's morbidly obese (again, not sure on numbers).

[frede89]

Well I think there are a bunch of upsides being a smoking, but almost none being obese.

[daryn]

just curious, what are the upsides to being a smoker??

[oddjob]

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just curious, what are the upsides to being a smoker??

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you look cool.

[sledghammer]

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just curious, what are the upsides to being a smoker??

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Conversation starter.

[Fast Food Knight]

I feel like there is a longer list of complications related to obesity than with smoking. Also, it seems that the threat of death is more imminent... all obese people are of poor health while not all smokers are in bad health.

[mbillie1]

Don't we have this thread every couple of weeks?

[PoppinFresh]

prolly smoking

also your numbers seem off, I think there are way more 10cig/day smokers than 300lb people

[esad]

Not a very good question. You're comparing the health of someone who is obese with someone who is only smoking 1/2 a pack a day? Most smokers smoke more and most people who are overweight don't weigh 300+ lbs.

A better question would be "What's worse, smoking a pack a day or being 25% overweight and never working out?" (BTW, 25% would equal weighing 225 when you should weigh 180.)

[kerowo]

You can be fit and fat and eliminate a lot of the problems of obesity, not sure you can be fit and smoke a lot.