The Saying "Smoking Makes You Lose Weight" Was True... Here's Why

Lower Probability of Eating Food as a Reward Behavior
Nutrition and Weight Management Support Needed During Smoking Cessation

A study has found that smokers may gain less weight because they tend to eat less compared to non-smokers.

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On the 13th, researchers from Loughborough University and the University of Leicester in the UK analyzed the relationship between smoking and eating behaviors among over 80,000 British adults at the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) conference (ECO) held in Venice, Italy. The researchers explained that smokers tend to have smaller meal portions and less healthy eating habits compared to non-smokers.

Smokers generally have lower body weight and BMI than non-smokers, and quitting smoking is known to be associated with weight gain. Therefore, the researchers stated that these findings could help explain why smokers gain weight after quitting and highlight the importance of providing nutritional and weight management support to smokers attempting to quit.

In this study, the team used data from 83,781 individuals aged 18 and older collected through the health assessment program of the UK medical charity Nuffield Health between 2004 and 2022 to investigate the association between smoking and dietary habits and behaviors. Among the participants, 6,454 were smokers and 77,327 were non-smokers. Participants completed questionnaires regarding age, gender, socioeconomic status, smoking status, and usual eating habits, and their body mass index (BMI; weight divided by the square of height, kg/m²) was also measured.

Analysis showed that smokers were 2.16 times more likely than non-smokers to skip meals, even after adjusting for various factors. The rate of going more than three hours without eating was 50% higher among smokers compared to non-smokers. Additionally, smokers were 35% less likely to snack between meals, 19% less likely to eat as a form of reward or mood improvement, and 14% less likely to eat to relieve boredom. However, the likelihood of eating food in general was also 8?13% lower.

On the other hand, smokers were 8% more likely to eat fried foods, 70% more likely to add salt to their food, and 36% more likely to add sugar. Notably, men were more likely than women to add salt and sugar to their food. Smokers were also 19% more likely to have difficulty leaving food uneaten.

Dr. Scott Willis of Loughborough University said, "This study shows that smoking is associated with reduced intake, consumption of fried foods, and the addition of salt and sugar, indicating a decline in diet quality. It will help clarify the causes of weight gain commonly seen in smokers when they quit and assist in addressing these issues."