There are just as many health risks associated with being overweight or obese or being a couch potato as there are with smoking. Lung cancer aside of course. But there was a study done for a medical journal, can't remember which, that showed how there are even more health risks associated with weight than with smoking. Yes, smoking causes certain types of cancer, but being overweight or obese can cause heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, joint problems, respiratory illnesses, pregnancy problems, stroke, and gout. And the health care costs associated with weight are even more than those of smoking, especially now that smoking is on in decrease but weight problems are on the increase. That's why I always find it hypocritical when people go on about how awful smoking is but they are 40 lbs overweight, never execise and subsist on junk food. In fact, even when I used to smoke I was actually in better shape than most- I went to the gym, I cycled (not as much) I was active and I could run up the stairs like an antelope. I admit my lung capacity is probably a lot better now. But I agree- it's odd that we see articles like the ones in the summer about how cycling is so dumb and cyclists really aren't athletes. RIght, let's discourage people from getting out in front of the tv set. Like ther aren't enough kids turning into porky rug rats who play video games all day!

i suppose you can't legislate healthy lifestyle any more than you can legislate morality.

I used to smoke on rides.

I quit smoking 2 years ago. Haven't noticed any improvement in my riding, except the weight gain.

One of my favorite TdF pics is an old black and white photo of old pros sharing a smoke, they are all dirty and grimey, with smiles, and lit cigs in thier hands. A classic!

Sometimes it's hard to believe the nonsense being chucked about by smoking advocates!

The fact that a couch potato has a huge potential to developing heart disease, diabetes etc. DOES NOT MEAN THAT SMOKING IS NOT A KILLER OCCUPATION!

And photos of TdF cyclists 80 years ago smoking is not an argument.

Remember that in those times TB was rampant...

Let's get back to normal.

Smoking is bad, obesity is bad.

I think we all know smoking is bad for you, and no one is advocating it to my knowledge. However, the point I was making earlier is that having a poor lifestyle can be just as bad for you as smoking. Smoking is not the only thing you can do that's unhealthy. The problem is that many people think it is, so they think that as long as they don't smoke they don't have to worry about premature death- even if they are overweight, live on fast food and never exercise.

I hear you wabbit, but this message is going to fall on mostly deaf ears.

For some reason, when I was a smoker, obese people were eager to point out how unhealthy smoking was, yet couldn't or wouldn't understand when I tried to point out the health problems associated with being overweight by 25 or more pounds.

I wasn't advocating smoking by any means, especially being an ex smoker. I find the second hand smoke offensive, and it is an irritant when I ride up to a stop light/sign and there someone sits in their vehicle smoking and their smoke wafts my way.

But, I am not going to be an ex smoker like the exsmoking nazis I've met, the ones who'll get upset the a cigarette was lit on the next block. There is nonsense and reality. Reality is people smoke. Some are able to quit.

I was able to quit successfully through nicotine gum. I also spent a lot of time in a smoky coffee house inhaling second hand smoke. It got me through some of the rough withdrawl.

And just a note about the addictive personality, being a member of the "recovering" community. A lot of us do take responsibility for what we did while using. We are far from perfect, and some of us owe society a large debt for the damage we did, not just to ourselves. It is often a lot larger than we can pay back. I hope that in my continuing to not do the things I did when I was actively using and finding ways and means to use more, I am in some way making amends.

Today I hold a job; in the recovery field, where I can share with other, younger (in recovery) people how I do it. I pay taxes, rent and other bills. I am a part of society today. It isn't always comfortable, even after 15 years I still want to do things that not only aren't healthy, but slightly illegal as well. I have to take responsibility for those actions.

We all make excuses. I think as human beings it is just our nature. I look at my brother and myself, three years seperate us. He's married, two kids and outweighs me by 100 lbs. He eats(his kids joke that my brother's favorite food group is "itos." As in Doritos, Fritos, Cheetoes.), I smoked, drank and drugged. We both are/were killing ourselves. I have another brother who instead of picking up a drug or food, has picked up the Bible(not to open a can of worms), but this has been a way of alienating himself from us, as much as the drugs were for me, and food is for my brother. There are those of us who aren't capable of managing or mantain a life at status quo. I have worked with them for just about eleven years now. We used to warehouse them in big institutions, we didn't help them, now we are trying something different. I don't have an answer for them, I just am trying like hell not to become one of them.

I think one of the big lessons we are here to learn is to make mistakes, just not the same ones over and over.

Just my .02.

I grew up in a family of smokers. Everyone smoked, mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins you name it. Funny though in all that time my immediate bothers and older sister never picked it up. You think that with all that "influence" surrounding us it would have seemed the "natural" thing to do. I credit my dad a lot for getting into our heads that even though he did it he admitted himself that he wished he had not started and he knew it was bad. He's tried to quit too, several times. I remember one time he just lost it after a couple of weeks of trying.

I always think though that it could be something around the corner for me. I mean I work with people who smoke on a regular basis and inhale thier second had smoke everyday. When I go out for the occasion beer the pub is usually rammed and people are smoking. The only difference is they have filters on thier end, I don't. When ever I get that thought though I just picture myself lighting a 10 dollar bill on fire everyday and watching it burn for the rest of my life. That usually kills an notion right there. I'm too cheap to put out that kind of money!