Smoking's potential impact on weight gain explored
Managing Weight Gain After Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking can lead to some weight gain, but the good news is that it's often temporary and manageable. Here's what you need to know about weight gain after quitting smoking and how to keep it in check.
Weight Gain After Quitting Smoking
Smoking may not directly cause weight gain, but quitting can lead to some weight gain, typically around 4 to 5 kg (9 to 11 pounds) within the first year. This happens because nicotine, which boosts metabolism and suppresses appetite, is no longer present, leading to a lower metabolic rate and increased food intake as taste improves and smoking's hand-to-mouth habit is often replaced by snacking.
However, the weight gain is usually temporary, stabilizing after the first year, and the average long-term weight of former smokers tends to equal that of people who never smoked. Some individuals can gain more than 20 pounds, which may increase cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension if not managed.
Managing Weight Gain
To manage or reduce weight gain after quitting smoking, here are some strategies to consider:
- Adopt healthy eating habits: Emphasize balanced, nutrient-dense diets, and caloric control.
- Engage in regular physical activity: Include both cardiovascular and strength training exercises to boost metabolism and preserve lean muscle mass.
- Practice mindful eating: Avoid substituting smoking with excessive snacking.
- Use professional support: Seek behavioural therapy or dietitian guidance for tailored strategies.
- Consider using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT): Some quitting aids, such as nicotine patches, can modestly blunt weight gain due to appetite-suppressing effects, but they are not safe or FDA-approved weight loss solutions and should only be used under medical supervision.
- Look into emerging treatments: Emerging treatments like GLP-1 agonists show promise in simultaneously aiding smoking cessation and controlling weight gain, but human studies show mixed results, and these are not yet standard interventions.
Other Factors to Consider
- Smoking damages almost every organ and contributes to disability and disease, with links to various cancers, heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), other lung diseases, diabetes, tuberculosis, eye disease, and immune problems.
- For those who have overweight or obesity, weight management can yield health benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and pregnancy complications.
- Exercising more can help reduce cravings and improve the success of smoking cessation attempts.
- A healthcare professional can help support an individual on their weight loss journey while quitting smoking.
Conclusion
Despite the risk of modest weight gain, quitting smoking brings far greater health benefits, dramatically lowering risks of cancer, heart and lung diseases, and improved life expectancy. Managing weight gain through lifestyle and clinical support can help maximize these benefits while minimizing concerns about weight.
