a little perspective

I have a fracquaintance (more than an acquaintance, not quite friends) who has lost about 35 pounds this year, and she looks great.  She was a lot smaller than I am to begin with, so 35 pounds brings her about to her ideal weight.

Last night, after this little cocktail party, I was hanging around chatting with her and another friend about our plans for the rest of the evening.  I had eaten very lightly at the party--a few pieces of cheese, some olives, a couple dabs of pita and hummus.  Not enough to satisfy me, but enough that I knew I shouldn't head home and eat a full dinner.  

My friend chimed in with a suggestion: "You should smoke!"

She then explained how she smokes instead of snacking, and how, since she broke up with her boyfriend who did all the cooking, she hasn't been eating much.  Instead, she noted, "My calories all go to alcohol."  

I really hope that my face didn't betray what I was thinking, which was basically, "Guh?"  

I know she feels good about herself, and how she looks, and who knows, maybe she technically is healthier than she was before, but honestly I just wanted to sit her down and carefully explain the fundamentals of nutrition.  I know smoking is a hard habit to break, but to ignore the possibility of lung cancer and claim it as somehow part of a healthy lifestyle...I just don't buy it.