Take two guys of about the same age.

The first guy smokes 40 a day and drinks at least 8 pints, four nights a week. However, he does a cardio workout of about forty minutes each day and is quite fussy about what he eats, ie: no junk food or much saturated fat. He is also a perfectly healthy weight for his height and has a very low bodyfat count.

The second guy doesn't drink or smoke at all. However, he gets no exercise whatsoever and eats nothing but crap ie: fry up every morning and doner kebab/burger/pizza/fried chicken for dinner every night. Because of this he is approximately 3 stone overweight.

These descriptions are of two guys I know. Considering that neither of these guys have any history of serious illness in their families, who do you think will die first?

The look of terror at 0.07

...you know me?

Bebo profile : http://www.bebo.com/BrianL675

"I want to go to heaven for the weather... hell for the company"

All other things being equal, I'd predict that the smoker would be at greater relative risk of early death.

Ten thousand glorious years.

Smoking 40 a day has to be a greater risk

"If you're going through hell, keep going!" - Winston Churchill

ORIGINAL: stavross

Smith machines are for girls mate.

Person B will get brain cancer and nobody will take him seriously when he complains of regular and persistant headaches and he will die at age 43 while his family persue a very long, drawn-out legal case against the NHS.

Fact.

Now with PM's enabled!

ORIGINAL: 1MR

Person B will get brain cancer and nobody will take him seriously when he complains of regular and persistant headaches and he will die at age 43 while his family persue a very long, drawn-out legal case against the NHS.

Fact.

I'm guessing that this was someone close to you. Sounds grim.

Ten thousand glorious years.

ORIGINAL: jango

Take two guys of about the same age.

The first guy smokes 40 a day and drinks at least 8 pints, four nights a week. However, he does a cardio workout of about forty minutes each day and is quite fussy about what he eats, ie: no junk food or much saturated fat. He is also a perfectly healthy weight for his height and has a very low bodyfat count.

The second guy doesn't drink or smoke at all. However, he gets no exercise whatsoever and eats nothing but crap ie: fry up every morning and doner kebab/burger/pizza/fried chicken for dinner every night. Because of this he is approximately 3 stone overweight.

These descriptions are of two guys I know. Considering that neither of these guys have any history of serious illness in their families, who do you think will die first?

Smoker dies first

3 stone overweight is not too much really

i would think the smoker will die first but there are many variables to concider,the smoker could do that all his life and not die from smoking.
yet the other guy is also taking big risks with his heart so hard to say realy.

Is it the fact that he is simply a smoker, or is it the fact that he smokes so much, that makes many of you think he'll go first?

If he smoked 20 a day instead of forty, would this then make the second guy more likely to die first? Or is smoking just so harmful to the body that even moderate smokers are putting themselves at such a high risk?

The look of terror at 0.07

Even fairly light smokers are at vastly greater risk of CVD, CHD, cancer, etc...

Ten thousand glorious years.

The 8 pints increase his chance of getting run over..

That aside, the first person for sure.

Age - 18

Bench - 95kg (at 62kg)
Deadlift - 120kg (at 62kg)
Squat - 100kgx5 (at 62kg)
Front Squat - 92.5kg (at 62kg)

What's the story behind the original question, Jango?

Ten thousand glorious years.

ORIGINAL: JohnKerr2

ORIGINAL: 1MR

Person B will get brain cancer and nobody will take him seriously when he complains of regular and persistant headaches and he will die at age 43 while his family persue a very long, drawn-out legal case against the NHS.

Fact.

I'm guessing that this was someone close to you. Sounds grim.

Yes, poor old Mr B. At least Mr A got a song sung about him when he popped it. What did Mr B get? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVcvER1i0fw

Now with PM's enabled!

ORIGINAL: JohnKerr2

What's the story behind the original question, Jango?

No real story other than these are two guys I work with. We were talking about this the other day, and they both think the other is going to die first. A fairly macabre conversation, but an interesting one.

I have to say I thought that man "'B' was at the greater risk to be honest. This thread has made me extremely glad that I quit smoking years ago.

The look of terror at 0.07

ye id say A just because he smokes 40 a day, doesnt mean eh will though.

*Eat to grow*

Keto Diet, Its time to make my username a reference towards me!- http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/15leans-cuttingketo-diet-m3100051.aspx

Ugh! Its so open ended.

Family medical history would help a lot.

Person A may never contract cancer but may be at huge risk of stroke or heart disease.
Person B may never have heart related problems, but could die from colon/prostate cancer.

ORIGINAL: Dan Nukem

Ugh! Its so open ended.

Family medical history would help a lot.

Person A may never contract cancer but may be at huge risk of stroke or heart disease.
Person B may never have heart related problems, but could die from colon/prostate cancer.

Yeah I know, but I wasn't after an in-depth study on the subject, because as you say there are so many variables to consider.

I was just interested to know what people thought on a gut level.

The look of terror at 0.07

The cardio of the first guy may offset the smoking-related risks of heart/lung disease, but won't do anything for the cancer risk, which at 40 a day will be significantly higher than normal, but remember normal risk is not very much to begin with. 8 pints 4 times a week isn't great for you either.

The second guy is a bit overweight but 3 stone wouldn't make you obese unless you were quite short.

PS - tell your mate that quitting smoking now will have a significant effect on his lifetime risk of lung cancer, heart disease etc, it's far from too late unless he is 60.

The overweight one is quite short to be honest, about 5ft 5".

I'm sure the smoker knows the risks, but like so many others he just can't kick the habit.

The look of terror at 0.07

Living near a busy road would also have an effect according to recent Environmental health tests conducted near me.
Apparently walking twenty minutes down the A6 during rush hour was the equivilant of smoking 10 Benson and Hedges( for related intakes).

Having said that, a Doctor I know told me if he was to offer one piece of advice to anyone to aid good health, far and away it would be to not smoke.

Look after your body,it is the greatest thing you will EVER own----Bazil Baines

Dodging the rain and bullets since 1966.