Infants cared for by parents who smoke are more likely to become obese children than those from a nonsmoking household, according to a health ministry report.
According to the report, released Wednesday, the obesity rate for 13-year-olds who were exposed to secondhand smoke when they were 6 months old was 2 to 3 points higher than those from smoke-free homes.
The ministry said there was a "statistically significant difference" in the obesity rate between the two groups. But a causal relationship between passive smoking and larger waistlines remains difficult to confirm, as other factors the ministry didn't eliminate when analyzing the data could be at play, the report said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.