When I was a kid, everyone smoked, now we are just FAT and dying!

It doesn’t have to be a choice between smoking and overeating
by Dan Blacharski

It’s an all-too-common scenario. You quit smoking. You feel good about it, but before too long, you start to put on weight. The health and longevity gains that result from smoking cessation are completely wiped out as a result of the dangers of obesity.

Studies have shown that smoking rates are going down in the United States, and there’s no denying that this is a good thing. It adds years to your life span. But at the same time, increases in obesity rates are reducing life expectancy by over a year, resulting in a net loss, according to estimates published by the New England Journal of Medicine. The study shows that by 2020, smoking will decrease by 21 percent, but by that same time, 45 percent of the U.S. population will be obese.

In an ideal world, the population would be slender and healthy non-smokers. However, several studies have indicated an inverse relationship between smoking and obesity. If you are a smoker and also overweight, then your risk factor is even greater, and National Cancer Institute studies show that 20 percent of obese adults in the United States are smokers. Obese smokers, according to the study, have a much greater risk of death from cancer or circulatory disease.

If you’re an overweight smoker, experts recommend focusing on one thing at a time. Quitting smoking requires a great deal of attention for the first few months, and while this process is ongoing, weight maintenance is more important than weight loss. While you are quitting smoking, focus on keeping your weight steady—and once the urge to smoke has gone, then focus your time and attention on losing weight.

Health care professionals do advise that some minor weight gain is normal when undergoing a smoking cessation program. It is not unusual to gain five to ten pounds during the process, even if your eating habits remain exactly the same. This is not necessarily because we eat snacks to replace cigarettes—it is largely due to a change in metabolism that results from no longer smoking. Nicotine raises metabolism artificially, and so quitting smoking will naturally cause a slight slowing of the metabolism which results in weight gain. This minor weight gain can be mitigated with regular exercise, and normally will taper off after the urge to smoke has passed and your body has adjusted to the new situation.

In addition to the metabolic impact, cigarettes also function as an appetite suppressant, and absent that suppressing effect, we may experience hunger more often when quitting smoking. And emotionally, we may also simply turn to food as a replacement for cigarettes as a way of easing the withdrawal effects.

Quitting smoking involves a lot more than just putting away the cigarettes. It also requires you to pay close attention to unintended side effects, such as weight gain. Along with your smoking cessation program, you can avoid the weight gain by eliminating or minimizing alcohol, keeping healthy snacks available, and getting regular exercise.