Quitting smoking and avoiding weight gain is a major consideration for female smokers trying to do away with the habit. Research now shows that women do not necessarily have to gain weight when they stop smoking. The findings of a study published in the Journal Addiction showed that women who want to quit smoking should simultaneously take concrete steps to keep weight in check. One such step is to start exercising which helps bring smokers back to a healthy lifestyle. This would result in successfully quitting smoking without gaining weight.

A lot of women start and continue to smoke to lose weight or remain thin. While smoking helps with this cause, there are huge sacrifices in terms of health and aging.

Bonnie Spring who was the lead author of the study, very succinctly summarized the trapped feeling that women feel. Bonnie stated in a press release, “Women who smoke often feel caught between a rock and a hard place. This is because they are concerned about their health and at the same time also not wanting to gain weight”.

Why People Gain Weight When They Quit Smoking

Smoking increases the metabolism of the smoker. A very heavy smoker could burn up to 150 additional calories a day. One’s metabolism is boosted by the raising of the heart rate. Smoking could increase one’s heart rate by 10 to 15 beats. This added stress causes the body to work harder.

Nicotine also acts as an appetite suppressant. Thus a smoker would have lesser urge to binge or to eat between meals. When one stops smoking, the metabolism and appetite returns to normal. One also has a better sense of smell and taste. Food starts smelling and tasting good again and this could result in over eating.

Study Finds That Women Can Quit Smoking and Control Weight Gain

Bonnie Spring and her co-authors reviewed 10 studies from 1991 to 2007 that examined the results of 2,233 smokers. The study showed that women who actively sought weight control while quitting smoking had a 29% more likelihood to quit smoking within 3 months. This was compared against women who tried to stop smoking without taking any steps of weight control. The steps for weight control could include starting exercise, portion control, keeping a food journal, healthy eating, doing away with junk food and any other measure that helps to lose and maintain a healthy weight.

Women who actively sought weight control while quitting smoking had a 23 % more likelihood to quit smoking in the long-term (6 to 14 months) as compared to those who did not take any steps for weight control.

More Reasons for Women to Quit Smoking

A lot of women start smoking because they do not want to gain weight. Once already smoking, they feel helpless. They do not want to stop for the fear of gaining weight. This study provides all the reasons for a woman to stop smoking. Smoking kills an estimated 178,000 women in the US annually. About 17.4% of women in the US smoke.

Smoking reduces lifespan. It is one of the leading causes of death in the developing countries. Young women who start smoking for vanity reasons have major challenges when they get pregnant. They find it hard to quit the habit and put both themselves and the baby at increased health risks.

Avoiding weight gain or trying to lose weight is not a reason to start or continue smoking. There are many other ways to have a healthy and attractive body without jeopardizing it. A correct weight loss program consisting of exercise and a sensible diet would work far better in the long run.