What Are the Health Risks of Smoking vs. Obesity? Topic Guide

A heart attack happens when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the heart, which causes heart muscle death. A hiatal hernia is a GI tract problem that occurs through the opening of the diaphragm where the esophagus meets the stomach. When the muscles surrounding the diaphragm become weak or damaged, the upper portion of the stomach protrudes through the opening of the diaphragm. Both a heart attack and hiatal hernia can cause the same symptoms of chest pain that radiates down the arm, back, and neck, they are not the same. Heart attack is a medical emergency while a hiatal hernia usually is not. Heart attack symptoms that do not occur with a hiatal hernia include shortness of breath with chest pain that feels tight, full, achy, or pressured, heart palpitations, and jaw ache. Heart attacks in women also cause symptoms of extreme weakness and fatigue. Hiatal hernia symptoms that are different from heart attack are severe heartburn, belching, indigestion, coughing, problems swallowing, hiccups, and upper abdominal pain. Both heart attack and hiatal hernia may be preventable diseases. Heart attack is a medical emergency. Call 911 of you think you or someone you are with is having a heart attack; even if you think it may be heartburn or indigestion.

Obesity means an excess amount of body fat. No general agreement exists on the definition of obesity in children as it does adults. Some define pediatric obesity as body weight at least 20% higher than the healthy weight range for a child or adolescent of that height, or as a body fat percentage above 25% in boys or above 32% in girls.

A cough is a symptom of an underlying disease or condition. A chronic or persistent cough may signal certain lung conditions that should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Common causes of coughs include infection, allergies, lung disease, medications, and GERD (reflux). Acute coughs are categorized as infectious or non-infectious. Chronic cough (persistent cough) have a variety of causes and should be evaluated by physician. Treatment of cough, acute cough, chronic or persistent cough depends on the cause of the cough.

More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight, including at least one in five children. Nearly one-third are obese. Obesity is on the rise in our society because food is abundant and physical activity is optional. The safest way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. Treatment may also include medications, surgery, and behavior modification.

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of death and illness among Americans. Effects of smoking can cause cancers, emphysema, bronchitis, COPD, chronic cough, and more. Smoking cessation includes nicotine replacement therapy and behavioral therapy.

Stomach (gastric) cancer and peptic or stomach ulcers (duodenal and gastric) are diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI, digestive) tract, and both can be caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Usually, there are no distinct early warning signs and symptoms of stomach cancer or stomach ulcers. When symptoms and signs of gastric or duodenal ulcers do occur, usually, they are milder than those from stomach cancer. Stomach cancer often is not diagnosed until the later stages because usually, it causes no early symptoms. Symptoms and signs of advanced stomach cancer include fatigue, weight loss, anemia, black tarry stools, and severe nausea and vomiting, sometimes with blood. Stomach ulcer symptoms and signs include mild digestion, stomach discomfort, hunger pain, or abdominal burning a couple of hours after eating. Gastric and duodenal ulcers can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, but it does not occur until the ulcer ruptures. Duodenal ulcers are benign (noncancerous), and rarely, gastric ulcers can cause stomach cancer.

If you can manage the cravings and irritability, there are zero health drawbacks to quitting smoking. Your body starts healing from tobacco damage within even just 20 minutes of quitting.

When a person’s weight is higher than what is appropriate for their height, they are considered overweight or obese. A measure called the body mass index (BMI) is used is used to determine if a person is obese, but this formula is only a screening tool as it does not account for different builds. Bodyfat percentage is the gold standard for determining obesity.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, and it is a tool doctors use to determine if a person is overweight, and to what degree. It is a calculation based on height and weight that can provide a better estimate of total body fat than weight alone, but it does not account for differences in muscle mass or frame size.