Today is National No Smoking Day
It’s no secret that quitting smoking can help save a person’s life, but are people still more worried about the way they look than their health?
A survey of 1,015 smokers across the UK, conducted by the makers of Nicorette, has revealed that weight gain associated with quitting smoking is causing smokers to put off giving up.
The fear of weight gain caused by quitting is so strong that nearly a third of smokers revealed that it would cause them to feel less confident and almost half have admitted it would make them unhappy with their appearance. In fact, 1 in 4 smokers claim that they would actually start smoking again, specifically to lose the weight they put on whilst trying to quit.
Yet smokers may not be as thin as they think. The reality is that due to the effect that smoking has on the endocrine system (glands which secrete hormones), smokers are more likely to store even normal amounts of body fat in an abnormal distribution - around the waist and upper torso. As many as 81% of those questioned were unaware that smoking actually impacts the distribution of weight on the body, but both the men and women surveyed admitted that they carried most of their weight in their abdomen/tummy area, suggesting that the ‘smokers bulge’ phenomenon could be real.
Kate Cook, Nutritionist says: ‘‘Weight management is a long road for many people and the weight gain associated with quitting smoking can make it difficult for smokers to quit. It is my role to educate patients about options. Addressing the diet is key and with the support of other tools such as NRT, weight gain need not be a reason to put off quitting smoking for good.’’
The Impact of Smoking on the Waist-To-Hip Ratio (WHR)
The reality is a massive 67% of smokers have tried to quit before with over half having tried between 2 and 6 times, so how can a smoker overcome this barrier to quitting?
Although an increased appetite is a symptom of nicotine withdrawal and post-quitting weight gain is common, 1 in 5 smokers incorrectly think that quitting cold turkey/without any help is the best way to avoid gaining weight.
Clinical trials have demonstrated that using nicotine replacement treatment (NRT) products (such as nicotine gum, patches or inhalators) can increase a smokers chances of successfully quitting while simultaneously controlling weight, meaning that smokers can defend against the average stop smoking weight gain of around 2 to 3kg.