Weight Gain Following Smoking Cessation: Inevitable or Not?
Countless myths surrounding
smoking cessation have been accurately addressed, but the one concerning
smoking cessation and weight gain is not one of them. In fact, weight gain
following smoking cessation may not be a myth, as there is evidence supporting
the tendency to see minor increases in weight post-cessation, which is
plausible when considering that cigarette smoking increases resting metabolic
rate and ultimately energy expenditure at rest (Filozof et al., 2004). In one
study, it was found that over the course of four years, the net weight gain on
average totaled less than 2 kilograms (Clair et al., 2013). When considered in
conjunction with the array of health risks that accompany sustained smoking
behaviour, one ought to reconsider the significance of such a minor increase in
weight.
Also
noteworthy are the profound health benefits observed immediately following
smoking cessation. While cigarette smoking has been shown to reduce insulin
sensitivity and increase susceptibility to hyperinsulinemia (Filozof et al.,
2004) and hyperglycemia, all of which are predictive of diabetes, refraining
from smoking seems to abruptly return insulin sensitivity to higher levels
(Clair et al., 2013). Moreover, smoking cessation contributes to improving an
individual’s blood lipid profile, particularly through increasing the
concentration ratio of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the “good
cholesterol”) to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) in
plasma (Clair et al., 2013). This finding is significant because high-density
lipoprotein cholesterol promotes the excretion of excess cholesterol,
ultimately improving cardiovascular health (Whiteney et al., 2013).
Lastly,
weight gain following smoking cessation does not appear to be inevitable. When
smoking cessation is accompanied by a diet intervention and nicotine
replacement therapy, particularly the gum, avoidance of post-cessation weight
gain seems to be a reasonable expectation (Filozof et al., 2004). A study was
conducted on a group of women who attributed their unsuccessful cessation attempts
to weight gain (Filozof et al., 2004). This group of women participated in a
cessation intervention that included a reduction in caloric intake and
assistance from nicotine replacement therapy in the form of the gum (Filozof et
al., 2004). The results were promising, as the intervention was found to
improve smoking cessation success rates while preventing weight gain (Filozof
et al., 2004).
In
summary, the health risks of sustained cigarette smoking have been shown to
significantly outweigh the risks of a minor weight increase. Furthermore, it
was discovered that weight gain is not an inevitable consequence of smoking
cessation. The following question should be more easily addressed in light of
these findings: Is weight gain a plausible reason for the continuation of
cigarette smoking?
Resources & References
More information about quitting and quit aids can be found on the Leave The Pack Behind website.
The QuitRunChill website provides an online program that can increase your success at quitting while avoiding weight gain.
Clair,
C., Rigotti, N., Porneala, P., Fox, C.S., D’Agostino, R.B., Pencina, M.J. Meigs,
J.B. (2013). Association of Smoking Cessation and Weight Change With
Cardiovascular Disease Among Adults With and Without Diabetes. Journal of the American Medical Association,
309(10), 1014-1021. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.1644.
Filozof,
C,. Fernández Pinilla, M.C., Fernández-Cruz A. (2004). Smoking
cessation and weight gain. Obesity
Reviews, 5(2), 95-103. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2004.00131
Whitney, E., Rolfes, S, Hammond, G., & Piché,
L. (2013). Understanding Nutrition
(1st Canadian ed.). Toronto: Nelson
