Generality
Among people who want to stop smoking, the fear that quitting smoking will make you fat is quite common.
In fact, not all smokers who say enough to cigarettes get fat and - if this happens - generally the weight gain is less than 5 kg, even if some subjects can gain up to 10-15 kg.
Because you can get fat
There are several reasons why you can gain weight when you quit smoking.
These reasons will be briefly described below.
Anorectic effect of nicotine
Nicotine has an anorectic effect, that is, it decreases the appetite stimulus and induces a slight increase in metabolism. Therefore, when you stop smoking - therefore when you stop taking nicotine - the metabolism resumes its normal speed and slight weight gain may occur.
Increased appetite
One of the symptoms that characterize the smoking withdrawal syndrome is an increase in appetite. However, this symptom should disappear within a few weeks.
Increased consumption of snacks and alcoholic beverages
Since tobacco smoke - and in particular the nicotine it contains - causes addiction (smoking), the need to smoke that smokers feel is not only physical, but also psychological.
When you stop smoking, the psychological need can no longer be satisfied with smoking, therefore, we try to make up for this lack with other tools, such as the consumption of snacks and junk foods (therefore foods rich in sugars and fats) and the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Junk foods are anything but healthy and certainly do not help maintain a healthy weight. A similar argument can also be made for unhealthy snacks between meals and alcoholic beverages which undoubtedly promote weight gain.
Furthermore, it is often advisable to avoid the consumption of alcohol in general, not only because of the impact it can have on body weight, but also because for many individuals the consumption of alcoholic beverages and smoking are closely related activities. "other.
How to avoid gaining weight
In light of what has been said so far, another question may spontaneously arise: if quitting smoking makes you fat, what can be done to prevent it?
When deciding to quit smoking, weight control can be maintained first by trying to avoid the wrong behaviors mentioned above, such as the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the consumption of foods high in fat and sugar in an attempt to compensate for the lack. of the pleasure of smoking.
It is therefore clear how important it is to adopt a healthy and balanced diet which, however, may not be enough. In fact, even physical exercise must absolutely not be missing. Generally, it is advisable to practice regular physical activity of moderate intensity several times a week, if not every day. Sometimes, even a simple half hour a day of brisk walking can be very useful.
Furthermore, physical exercise can be a valuable aid in countering the onset of the desire to resume smoking.
Conclusions
Many smokers (especially female smokers) are frightened by the idea of gaining weight after quitting smoking. However, what really should scare these smokers are the serious conditions that smoking can cause (for example affecting their lungs or their cardiovascular system) and the damage it can cause to the body in general.
Therefore, we should ask ourselves whether it is more dangerous to health to continue smoking or to risk buying a few more kg.
In conclusion, the initial question can be answered "Does quitting smoking make you fat?" saying that smoking cessation can promote weight gain, but this does not necessarily occur in all individuals and in any case, in most cases, weight gain is minimal.
However, as we have seen, body weight can be kept under control without problems by adopting a healthy lifestyle accompanied by regular physical activity. Which, moreover, should be done regardless of quitting smoking.
