One of the few positives smokers present to justify their addiction is that it helps them keep their body weight in check. At the same time, just as smoking can be harmful to health, so is obesity. Here is the truth.
The harm to health of smoking is well known: it is a leading cause of disease and death worldwide. But the rise in obesity rates has overtaken smoking as the leading independent risk factor contributing to ill health.
Does smoking really help you lose weight?
When smoking and obesity are combined, there is a serious health risk that reduces the average life expectancy of 13 years compared to non-smokers of healthy weight.
Aside from the undeniable health risks of smoking, is there any credibility in smokers’ claim that their habit helps keep their weight in check?
A critical review of medical research on smoking and weight management found that, in the short term, nicotine can increase the body’s ability to burn energy and has little effect on reducing appetite.
But instead of looking at the conclusions drawn from cross-sectional studies, which look only at the current state of smoking and body weight at any given time, we need to look at what happens to the smoker’s weight over a longer period of time.
Paradoxically, even those who smoke a lot risk becoming obese
In these long-term studies, you’ll find that smokers don’t control their weight better than non-smokers.
When you combine all of these researches together, the image of the “skinny smoker” can emerge, as thin people are more likely to start the habit earlier.
Also, once they start smoking, lean non-smokers gain as much weight, and sometimes more, than the rest of the non-smoking population.
Surprisingly, heavy smokers gain weight compared to light smokers. This may be because low levels of physical activity, poor diet and alcohol are the main culprits of obesity, and these lifestyle factors are known to cluster around heavy smokers.
The risk of gaining weight is small, but the benefits are very high
Should anyone considering quitting smoking expect to gain weight as a result of this decision? Previous research on smoking cessation and weight has shown that the risk of weight gain is small but real. Long-term renouncers earn an average of three to five kilograms within ten years of quitting. The risk of weight gain is highest in the first two years immediately after quitting and appears to decrease thereafter.
But this is not a reason to continue smoking. The health risks for those with this harmful habit are by no means negligible. Furthermore, the risk of developing cancer or metabolic diseases puts smoking at the bottom of the list of ways to control weight. Small changes in diet and physical activity can easily offset the few pounds you gain over the years after quitting smoking.
Often promoted as a “benefit” of smoking weight control, the theory is exaggerated, in fact, it is more a myth than a fact. Also, even if this myth were true, it is much better for your health to be an overweight non-smoker than to be a skinny smoker.
Myths about smoking
The damage is already done
You may think that because you smoke, you have already increased your risk of cancer or another smoking-related disease and that quitting now will make no difference. But it is never too late to quit smoking. As soon as you get out, your body will start repairing itself. You will notice improvements in your breathing, sense of taste and smell within a few days of stopping this habit. Plus, within a year, you will have a reduced risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Furthermore, you will improve the health of your family and friends by protecting them from secondhand smoke.
I will get fat
It is common to have concerns about weight gain when you quit smoking. Some people gain weight after quitting. This is because nicotine suppresses the body’s natural appetite and burns calories faster.
If you quit smoking and replace it with unhealthy snacks, you will likely gain some weight. However, if you stop and eat a healthy diet, you are unlikely to gain weight because you quit smoking.
Nicotine is harmful
Nicotine is an addictive substance, but it is not harmful. It is the other ingredients and chemicals like carbon monoxide and tar in tobacco smoke that seriously harm your health. This is why nicotine replacement therapy can help you quit smoking. Basically, it will give you a clean and safe dose of nicotine.
I will be stressed out
Despite this popular myth, it has been shown that non-smokers usually have lower stress levels than smokers. You may feel more relaxed after smoking a cigarette because: Nicotine brings you back to your comfort level by stimulating the release of a feel-good chemical in the brain called dopamine. Basically, nicotine is a kind of powerful drug that can override the brain’s ability to control dopamine release. When you smoke, you will feel like you need a cigarette to check dopamine levels. So smoking a cigarette makes you seem like it helps you relax, but the physical stress on your body actually increases. The good news is that three months after you quit smoking, your ability to control dopamine returns to normal.
This is not the right time to quit smoking
While it may be true that you shouldn’t try to quit during very stressful times, don’t use it as an excuse to never try. Set a date that works for you, like the start of a vacation or the start of the week. Find out what makes you crave a cigarette, like having a cup of tea or going to a restaurant, and pick a day when you can avoid these triggers.
Tell your family and friends that you are going to quit, set a specific date, and tell them what you need to do to help you. It might also be a good idea to tell your coworkers that you are going to quit so they don’t offer you a cigarette or tempt you.
Hand-rolled tobacco is healthier
You may think that it is safer to smoke hand-rolled tobacco than cigarettes. It might be cheaper, but roll-ups actually expose smokers to 4,000 toxic chemicals through their smoke, many of them poisonous and carcinogenic. The nicotine and tar levels are higher in the rolls than in most regular cigarettes. Many people who smoke sandwiches don’t use a filter, so they inhale more tar and nicotine.
My smoke doesn’t hurt anyone
Passive smoking is a very real danger. Smoking has been banned in all closed public places in many countries around the world, including Romania. Non-smokers exposed to long-term secondhand smoke have: a 20% to 30% increased risk of lung cancer or stroke and a 25% to 30% increased risk of coronary heart disease, compared to non-smokers who do not are exposed.
Secondhand smoke also causes respiratory diseases and infections, sudden infant death syndrome, middle ear disease, and asthma attacks in children. Additionally, children breathe faster than adults, which means they absorb more harmful chemicals from secondhand smoke.
