<P> Thus, it was not unheard of when Virginia Slims sponsored the Women's Tennis Association in 1970, then known as the "Virginia Slims Circuit". With this prominent sponsorship came a whole slew of advertisements that featured tennis greats like Billie Jean King and Rosemary Casals alongside the Virginia Slims logo . </P> <P> Other Virginia Slims advertisements feature slender women in varying states of activity (dancing, running, ice skating, etc .) thus promoting a general attitude of health and fitness . </P> <P> A new area of study examines the ways in which tobacco companies are targeting the gay community through advertising . Like early niche advertisements that appealed to female consumers, gay tobacco advertisements draw on themes of virility and body image, although it is unclear if gay men tend to smoke to control weight . While the tobacco industry's marketing of the gay community is legal, many within the community have expressed disapproval of the industry's pointed tactics . </P> <P> Weight gain as a side effect of smoking cessation remains a major aspect of smoking and weight control . People can be discouraged by weight gain experienced while quitting smoking . Weight gain is a common experience during smoking cessation, with roughly 75% of smokers gaining weight after quitting . As nicotine is an appetite suppressant and smokers expend more energy, weight gain due to smoking cessation is generally attributed to increased caloric intake and a slowed metabolic rate . </P>

Who is most likely to begin smoking as a means of weight control