It is unclear why relationships between BMI and nicotine dependence were more robust and consistent for men compared to women. Given the findings in men, it is not surprising that obese women were less likely than normal weight women to have past-year nicotine dependence. The fact that overweight women were more likely to have a lifetime history of nicotine dependence is a bit more puzzling. Nicotine use is generally associated with weight loss (Schechter & Cook, 1976), and cessation of use is associated with weight gain (Caan et al., 1996; Klesges et al., 1997). Male smokers generally smoke more cigarettes per day than female smokers (Etter, Prokhorov, & Perneger, 2002). By smoking fewer cigarettes per day, female smokers may decrease exposure to nicotine’s effects on appetite or metabolism. In the NESARC sample, male smokers with past-year nicotine dependence smoked an average of 19.5 cigarettes per day compared to 17.2 per day for past-year female smokers, and the difference was statistically significant (F=32.2, p<.001). It is therefore possible that the level of nicotine absorbed by women who currently smoke is sufficient
