A PSA for puffers: The more cigarettes you smoke per day, the more weight you’re likely to gain when you try to quit, says a new Japanese study.
Researchers looked at ex-smokers who had successfully ditched their nicotine fix. While almost everyone gained at least some weight after 12 weeks of no cigarettes, those who were especially nicotine-dependent—classified by smoking the most (up to 43 cigarettes in a day)—saw BMI boosts up to 7.4 percent. By comparison, those who smoked the fewest cigs per day only saw spikes up to 5 percent.
Nicotine acts on areas of the brain associated with hunger and increased food intake to suppress appetite, while stimulating a rise in metabolism, the researchers write. Weight gain is one of nicotine’s withdrawal symptoms, so the more addicted you are, the more you’ll withdraw—and the more pounds you’ll put on.
When you stop smoking, your heart rate slows down and the craving for a cigarette can be confused with a hunger pang, says Scott McIntosh, Ph.D., associate director of the Smoking Research Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center. To stay slim after you quit, try sipping ice-cold water through a straw when hunger strikes, McIntosh suggests. It’ll release a small amount of dopamine in your brain, which could curb your craving. Plus, sipping on a straw can also help imitate the form of a cigarette, and drinking water could satisfy the urge to put something in your mouth.
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