Oct. 5, 1999 (Atlanta) -- A new study shows that many kids aged 9-14 may consider smoking to stay thin. The study, published in the October issue of Pediatrics, shows that some kids who were concerned about their weight were thinking about starting to smoke. Those who were trying to control their weight through methods like exercise and dieting, even bingeing and purging, were shown to be experimenting with cigarettes.

Alison Field, ScD, an instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and an investigator in the study, tells WebMD, "I think the main point to bring home is that weight concerns occur at very early ages ... [and] we found in both girls and boys that concerns with weight were related to thinking about taking up smoking."

The study looked at a sample of just under 17,000 kids. "Adolescence and preadolescence are certainly times when peer influences are enormous -- and fitting in and having the right look are very important at this age -- and it looks like for both boys and girls, part of what makes them feel acceptable is having the right weight and shape," Field tells WebMD.

The researchers found that about 9% of the teens had experimented with cigarettes and 6% were considering smoking. Contemplation of smoking was linked with misperception of being overweight in boys and unhappiness with appearance in girls. Experimentation with cigarettes was associated with daily exercise to control weight in boys and with monthly purging in girls.

Field says "it's very important for parents and teachers and intervention programs to address these issues to both boys and girls."

The study involved slightly more girls than boys. The children were classified into groups of those who hadn't considered smoking, were considering smoking, or were already experimenting with cigarettes. Regular smokers were not considered.

Death by lung cancer is highest among adults who began smoking before they were 15, according to the study. "This is the first time these associations have been assessed in preadolescents," Field tells WebMD. "The reason we wanted to look in the younger age range is that in terms of prevention efforts, it's very important to intervene before the children have picked up smoking."

Nancy Stroup, PhD, an epidemiologist with the Office on Smoking and Health with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reviewed the study for WebMD and says it was "well done." She tells WebMD the study highlights the problem that in the hope that they can lose 10 pounds by smoking, "young people don't take into account the hazards of a lifetime of addiction."

"I think one of the take-home messages from this study is that boys and girls who are concerned about their image ... are using smoking as a way to improve their image either by weight [loss] or by coolness," Stroup says.

The researchers point out some limitations to the study, notably the lack of questions specifically related to the use of smoking to control weight and that the kids in the group are over 90% white.

The study was supported by in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.