Smoking's Complicated Relationship With Weight

Although studies suggest that heavy and long-term smokers are more likely to be overweight or obese than non-smokers. Smoking generally reduces appetite and calorie intake, speeds up metabolism, and prevents fat from accumulating.

Weight gain and decrease have both been associated with smoking. As nicotine interferes with how the brain regulates food and energy expenditure, smoking limits respiratory functioning, limiting exercise. Smoking counteracts the effects of metabolism and appetite, causing weight gain.

As a result, the biochemical pathways suggest no clear connection between smoking and the body. Blood sugar levels and appetite may be impacted by smoking. Compared to non-smokers, smokers have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

The Relationship Between Weight And Weight

1. Appetite

Nicotine releases cortisol, your primary stress hormone. Cortisol is used in your "fight or flight" response to danger. It stops the immune and digestive systems of your body.

In the absence of a threat, individuals may encounter:

Anxiety

Focus deficit

Restlessness

Loss Of Appetite

2. Levels Of Blood Sugar

Your body releases cortisol when you smoke. Gluconeogenesis, or the process through which your body makes glucose, is promoted by cortisol. Your body turns food into a sugar called glucose for energy. Therefore, when your cortisol levels rise, you will also experience an increase in sugar.

Your body responds to increased blood sugar by producing more insulin, which results in low blood sugar and the need to break down the sugar. People commonly seek out sugary foods and beverages to elevate blood sugar levels. Eating processed foods loaded with sugar can harm your health and contribute to weight gain.

3. Weight Gain Following Smoking Cessation

Smoking triggers your "fight or flight" response and may cause you to feel less hungry. You could yearn for nicotine's euphoric effects after quitting smoking. You could attempt to obtain it from different sources, like sugary foods or coffee.

Smokers who give up the habit often find that they like food more after they have regained their senses of taste and smell. Since smoking is a hand-to-mouth habit, quitting smoking may cause some people to turn to consume foods like chips and candies.

4. Body Confidence And Weight Gain

Remember that your weight does not define you if you are worried about gaining weight after quitting smoking or are aware that you have already done so.

You are the same individual with the same skills and abilities, no matter your weight or size.

Debunking Common Myths About Smoking

1. Smoking Is Not As Bad As Alcoholism

Smoking-related illnesses claim the lives of alcoholics at a higher rate than alcohol-related ones. Additionally, there is a link between alcohol and tobacco addiction; smokers are three times more likely to have a problem with alcohol.

As a result, to lower the danger of developing numerous illnesses, such as lung cancer, heart disease, and eventually early death, it is crucial to advise people who are also alcohol dependent on stopping smoking.

2. The Safety Of E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes do not come without risk. Despite having less dangerous substances in their aerosol (vapour) than conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes are still risky. When you use electronic cigarettes (vape), you put your lungs at risk from metals like lead, nickel, tin, and aluminium, as well as harmful substances like formaldehyde and acrolein. Vaping can also deliver nicotine to your body and cause physical addiction. The biggest concern is that we are unaware of how vaping may impact our health.

3. A Single Cigarette Is Generally Safe

According to research, even a few daily cigarettes pose serious health risks. Your heart, lungs, and bodily cells are all harmed by smoking. Heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer are just a few illnesses brought on by smoking, and they not only afflict heavy or long-term smokers, but anyone who smokes or inhales passive tobacco smoke puts, their health in danger.

4. I Will Gain Weight If I Stop

Since nicotine stifles appetite, giving up will make you feel more hungry. Additionally, you can significantly appreciate your food once your senses of taste and smell mature.

Because of this, some smokers who quit their habit may put on 5 to 10 pounds in the first two months. Light smokers, who are less reliant on nicotine, will likely acquire less weight than former heavy smokers. However, this is not always the case.

5. The Harm Has Already Been Done!

When you stop smoking, your body starts to heal itself. The longer you smoke, the more harm you do to your body. But as soon as you quit, the body starts to repair much of the harm. For example, your risk of having a heart attack decreases by 50% in the first year after you stop smoking and equals that of a non-smoker after five years.

The Bottom Line

The health concerns of gaining weight pale compared to the risk associated with continuing to smoke. Patients can manage their weight by being encouraged to engage in physical exercise and consume a nutritious diet, with a focus on smoking cessation until former smokers are confident that they will not pick up the habit again.