Almost 6000 teens in Norway experienced more recurrent headaches if they smoked, were overweight, and inactive. This cross-sectional study found, after controlling for confounders, that those who smoked had a 50% increased risk for headaches (migraine, tension and unclassified); overweight, a 40% increased risk, and lack of physical activity conferred a 20% increase in risk. The more unhealthy habits the teen had, the greater they were at risk for headaches.

PositiveTip: A healthy lifestyle in teens (and most likely adults, also) lowers the risk for recurrent headaches of all types.

This is the fourth blog in a series exploring the benefits of eating meals together as a family.

A report from the University of Florida says that one of the real benefits of family meals is the opportunity for conversation, and is even associated with better nutritional quality. The report also reveals that eating together as a family is surprisingly associated with creating developmental assets for the family members and leads to fewer risky behaviors.

Simply put, eating together as a family could be a part of an effective strategy for preventing dangerous behaviors among youth. Take a look:

Analysis of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 1991 to 2009 reveals that cigarette use among U.S. high school students is declining, but slowly.

Nearly half of high school students have tried smoking (even one or two puffs), and 20% smoked at least one day in the previous 30 days, with 7% smoking 20 or more days during the past month. (Maybe they should all watch this video!)

PositiveTip: Talk to young people about the dangers of smoking, and support local and national efforts to control access and promotion of cigarettes.

Australia is a world leader in the battle against smoking. The government there has announced plans to require cigarette manufacturers to remove all branding colors and logos from cigarette packs, beginning July, 2012.

The Australian government has also announced an immediate 25% hike in the cigarette tax, meaning that a pack of 30 cigarettes will now cost an extra tax of $2 AUD. Of all attempts to reduce smoking, higher taxation and a ban on advertising and promotion are two of the most effective strategies. Mandating plain packing should also be highly effective.

A national study found that teenagers who have high exposure to smoking through movies are three times more likely to smoke than teens who don't watch movies with smoking. Interestingly, the effect watching movies with smoking is greatest among teens who are traditionally considered low-risk, such as those whose parents don't smoke.

PositiveTip: Monitor the movies your kids watch. If there's smoking, don’t let them watch it! No kidding!

Smoker's have a 20 times greater lifetime risk for developing lung cancer. Smoking cessation lowers the risk of developing lung cancer, but does cessation after lung cancer diagnosis improve outcomes? Investigators in England have conducted a meta-analysis of 10 studies to provide answers to that question. The good news is that quitting smoking after diagnosis of early stage lung cancer was associated with significantly lower rates of recurrence and death.

PositiveTip: It is never too late to stop smoking, and is usually the best single thing you can do to improve your health!

Smoking is a well-established risk factor of heart disease. Many individuals try to quit but fail to achieve complete abstinence. Researchers in Israel followed over 1500 patients for an average of 13.2 years who were admitted to hospital following their first heart attack. Not surprisingly, those who had never smoked or who had quit prior to the heart attack had the best survival rates. Among those who cut back on the number of cigarettes smoked, each reduction of 5 daily cigarettes smoked resulted in an 18% lower death rate compared to 40-48% for those who quit.

PositiveTip: Quitting smoking is by far the best option, but significant benefits result from cutting back on the number of daily cigarettes smoked.

Can doing something very good for your health raise the risk of another problem? A 9 year study showed that those who quit smoking had significantly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the first 3 years of cessation. Smokers who don't quit also face an increased risk of this disease, but the adjusted risk was higher in the short-term for those who quit. Perhaps weight and systemic inflammation contribute to this increased risk. In light of these findings should smoker's quit? Absolutely! The authors write, "Of course, smoking cessation has many beneficial health effects that outweigh this short-term risk." There are no excuses here!

We all know that smoking is not good for humans of any age. Now it seems at least one computer company is recognizing that smoking is not good for its computers, and is refusing warranty service on machines filled with tarry crud! Apple Computer has refused to repair at least two machines owned by smokers that were brought in for service. One of these persons was told they had voided their warranty and it couldn't be serviced due to the "health risks of second hand smoke." The other person was told his smoke-tainted computer was a "bio-hazzard". Even Apple president Steve Jobs' reportedly refused to help these smokers.

There are few threats more dangerous to the health of the public than tobacco! Each year more that 435,000 Americans die of tobacco related illnesses--mostly heart, vascular, and lung disease. Use of these products is also associated with significant health problems that diminish quality of life. The total annual cost of tobacco related problems in the United States run to $96 billion--a truly staggering amount.

It is rather surprising, that with the overwhelming evidence of harm, more than one in five Americans still smoke. This is a testimony to the addictive nature of these products.