Weight off your mind

Relax, smoking quitters, study finds you won’t pack on the kilos

BREAKTHROUGH Tasmanian research has discovered people who give up smoking gain only marginally more weight than those who fail to kick the habit.

The University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research’s Jing Tian and Seana Gall found that people who quit smoking gained an average of 4.1kg over five years, compared with 1.5kg for continuing smokers — a difference of just 2.6kg.

Dr Gall said the research disproved the common belief that quitting smoking resulted in major weight gain and it proved the health benefits far outweighed any negatives.

“Other studies suggest that this small amount of weight gain does not offset the many health benefits of quitting smoking,” Dr Gall said.

“The reasons for the weight gain after smoking are complex but probably related to changes in brain activity and metabolism after quitting.”

Using data from 63,403 quitters and almost 400,000 continuing smokers from across the world, the study found that weight gain was greater in women than men, and more pronounced in North America than in Asia.

Rosetta grandmother Nola Worsley, who suddenly quit a 44-year habit last Friday after a medical scare related to her breathing, said the thought of gaining weight had not entered the equation. Ms Worsley, who started smoking at 15, admitted she had often used the fear of weight gain as an excuse to not quit smoking, but was now looking forward to a tobacco-free future.

“I still want cigarettes very badly, but I also want to live,” she said.

“I have grandkids, I have a husband and I have a life and I want to keep it.

“You can walk off a little bit of weight gain, you can’t walk off death.”

Quit Tasmania director Abby Smith said smoking led to cancer and the best approach to battling the bulge was through increased activity and a healthy diet.

“For advice and support, consider seeing a health professional or contact Quitline on 13 QUIT,” she said.