Your Grandparent Smoked as a Kid. That’s Why You’re Fat.

Things were different when your grandparents were around.  Some would say it was a better era to live because we didn't have the computer strapped to our hip.  Kids could ride bikes around town with zero fear of being abducted.

In 1935, my grandfather on my dad's side was 13 years old.  The year Babe Ruth hit his final home run, Porky Pig was introduced as a Looney Tunes character, Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Pacific Ocean, Bing Crosby had the number one song and my grandfather probably smoked his first cigarette.

It's not his fault though, really.  Cigarettes in the 30's were being pushed by athletes touting them as having a higher quality tobacco so that they wouldn't get "winded" when smoking them.  Cigarettes were thought to have health benefits even, like curing irritated throats and coughs.  Doctors even smoked certain brands over the others due to them being "healthier".

Finally, here's a way to blame my poor health on something other than my lack of will power. A new study has found a link between our unwanted body fat and our grandparents' smoking habits.  Specifically, your grandfather who started smoking way too early.

They found that you're more likely to be overweight if your grandfather started smoking before he turned 13.  It's not clear why, but they say it suggests that exposing ourselves to certain substances could affect our kids' or grandkids' health, not just our own.

Something for you young "parents to-be" to consider before lighting up.  Sure, you look cool...but your grandkids are going to be tubby.