Dealing with weight gain when you quit smoking
What is the connection between quitting smoking and gaining weight?
The main reason that people gain weight when they quit smoking is simple: They eat more.
There are several reasons why this happens:
- Nicotine curbs your appetite. It also perks you up when your energy is low because of hunger. When you quit smoking, you may feel hungry more often and eat more as a result.
- Nicotine dulls your taste buds. So when you quit smoking, food tastes better and you may want to eat more.
- Without cigarettes, you may turn to food as a replacement. You may need something to do with your hands and mouth at certain times of the day when you used to smoke.
- Nicotine makes your body burn calories faster. So when you quit, your body isn't burning calories as fast as it used to. This can lead to weight gain, but usually no more than 10 pounds.
Studies show that the more cigarettes you smoke, the more likely you are to gain weight when you quit.2
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People gain weight when they quit smoking because nicotine curbs your appetite and dulls your taste buds.
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| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS | Last Updated: October 31, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine John Hughes, MD - Psychiatry | |
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