Inhaling hookah smoke is more dangerous than cigarette smoke, a study on almost 10,000 Iranians by the Brighton and Sussex Medical School has found.
Smoking shisha 'significantly increases' the risk of diabetes and obesity and is worse than a whole packet of cigarettes, a study has found.
People who inhaled the sweet-smelling fumes of 'hookah' smoke were more likely to be fat and have type 2 diabetes in comparison to those who didn't.
The tabletop pipes have grown in popularity in recent years, with up to a fifth of young people using them as well as famous footballers and celebrities.
But they can lead to illnesses not associated with cigarettes, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia or diabetes.
The negative effects are said to be the equivalent or worse than smoking a pack of cigarettes, experts at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School warned.
Smoking shisha (pictured, world champion sprinter Usain Bolt in October) could be as bad or worse than an entire packet of cigarettes despite its reputation for being healthier, experts say
Hookah pipes have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people, and influential celebrities are often pictured using them (pictured, the rapper Drake)
The results of the study, which involved academics at a university in Iran, were published in Diabetology and Metabolic Syndrome.
Shisha is a leisure activity, hailing from the Middle East. It is often considered to be a more 'healthy' alternative to smoking.
The habit is usually a social activity and famous people are often snapped doing it, ranging from footballers and their partners to musicians.
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