Most people burn extra calories to lose weight, but some teens are burning cigarettes in hopes of dropping a few pounds. Jonvieve Kloster has a friend that lit up for exactly that reason. A recent study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests some teenagers, especially girls, are smoking to lose weight.
Psychologists say it's just another example of a society that is obsessed with being thin.
Jonvieve says that her friend turned to smoking after other friends caught her throwing up and demanded that she stop. Unfortunately, concerns about body image are sometimes made even worse by parents, many of whom also grew up trying to be thin. She says parents should try to talk less about appearance. If the topic of weight loss and cigarettes does come up, Buchanan says that parents should not only remind children about the dangers of smoking, but also explain that smoking to lose weight is a myth. Laura Boykin, as smoker herself, knows that's true.