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Women Can Quit Smoking and Control Weight Gain
Northwestern University
November 19, 2009
By Marla Paul
Many women don't quit smoking because they are afraid of gaining weight. That's because nicotine suppresses the appetite and boosts a smoker's metabolism.
But a new meta-analysis (results of several studies) shows that women who quit smoking while receiving treatment for weight control are better able to control their weight gain and are more successful at quitting cigarettes.
The finding disproves current clinical guidelines that say trying to diet and quit smoking at the same time will sabotage efforts to ditch cigarettes.
"Women who smoke often feel caught between a rock and hard place, because they're concerned about their health but also concerned about their appearance," said Bonnie Spring, lead author of the study and a professor of preventive medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Now they don't have to choose between the two."
Previously, it was assumed that a person could only change one health risk behavior at a time. "But these findings show that, at least in the case of smoking and eating, you actually get an added benefit when you try to change a couple of behaviors at once," Spring said.
Recently published in the journal Addiction, Spring's paper examined the results from 2,233 smokers in 10 studies from 1991 to 2007.
The study showed that women whose treatment addressed both smoking and weight control were 29 percent more likely to quit smoking in the short term (at three months) and 23 percent in the long term (from six to 14 months) than those whose treatment addressed only smoking. Women whose treatment included smoking and weight control also gained less weight than those whose treatment included only smoking. They gained an average of 2.1 pounds less in the short term and 2.5 pounds less in the long term.
Spring hopes the study results will change doctors' attitudes and current clinical guidelines about combining weight control and smoking cessation. "Perhaps this news also will encourage more women to quit," she added, noting that cigarette smoking kills an estimated 178,000 women in the U.S. each year. About 17.4 percent of women in the U.S. smoke.
Her meta-analysis looked at different kinds of approaches to weight control.
"Some worked better than others, " she said. "Now we need different investigators to test out those most promising treatments to see if they get the same good results."
More studies also are needed that offer longer-term intervention for weight and smoking cessation. The literature on weight control shows patients lose the benefit when they stop treatment, Spring pointed out.
"We're in the right ball park, we just need refine our pitch," she said.
Northwestern University
November 19, 2009
By Marla Paul
Many women don't quit smoking because they are afraid of gaining weight. That's because nicotine suppresses the appetite and boosts a smoker's metabolism.
But a new meta-analysis (results of several studies) shows that women who quit smoking while receiving treatment for weight control are better able to control their weight gain and are more successful at quitting cigarettes.
The finding disproves current clinical guidelines that say trying to diet and quit smoking at the same time will sabotage efforts to ditch cigarettes.
"Women who smoke often feel caught between a rock and hard place, because they're concerned about their health but also concerned about their appearance," said Bonnie Spring, lead author of the study and a professor of preventive medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Now they don't have to choose between the two."
Previously, it was assumed that a person could only change one health risk behavior at a time. "But these findings show that, at least in the case of smoking and eating, you actually get an added benefit when you try to change a couple of behaviors at once," Spring said.
Recently published in the journal Addiction, Spring's paper examined the results from 2,233 smokers in 10 studies from 1991 to 2007.
The study showed that women whose treatment addressed both smoking and weight control were 29 percent more likely to quit smoking in the short term (at three months) and 23 percent in the long term (from six to 14 months) than those whose treatment addressed only smoking. Women whose treatment included smoking and weight control also gained less weight than those whose treatment included only smoking. They gained an average of 2.1 pounds less in the short term and 2.5 pounds less in the long term.
Spring hopes the study results will change doctors' attitudes and current clinical guidelines about combining weight control and smoking cessation. "Perhaps this news also will encourage more women to quit," she added, noting that cigarette smoking kills an estimated 178,000 women in the U.S. each year. About 17.4 percent of women in the U.S. smoke.
Her meta-analysis looked at different kinds of approaches to weight control.
"Some worked better than others, " she said. "Now we need different investigators to test out those most promising treatments to see if they get the same good results."
More studies also are needed that offer longer-term intervention for weight and smoking cessation. The literature on weight control shows patients lose the benefit when they stop treatment, Spring pointed out.
"We're in the right ball park, we just need refine our pitch," she said.
Quit Smoking Without Weight Gain - How Exercise Can Help
About.com: Exercise & Health
One of the scary things about quitting smoking (aside from going insane with nicotine withdrawals) is the fear of gaining weight. According to studies, the average smoker gains about 8 pounds after quitting. However, weight gain isn't inevitable! If you approach quitting the right way, you can use exercise to avoid gaining weight and help you quit for good.
Quitting and Gaining
One of the reasons for weight gain is because nicotine speeds up your metabolism. When you quit, your metabolism slows down and you might gain weight even if you're not eating more. Of course, lots of people DO end up eating more after quitting. When you stop smoking, you'll typically feel hungrier and food will taste better. You'll also need something to replace cigarettes and some folks turn to food. The combination of eating more calories while burning less results in weight gain. Before you give up on quitting, there is something you can do to avoid extra pounds.
How Exercise Can Help
Exercise is an obvious way to help avoid gaining weight after you quit. Studies show that smokers have an easier time quitting when they add exercise to their smoking cessation plan. There are some other benefits of exercise including:
Using Exercise to Get Through the Cravings
Exercise can be an effective tool in your smoking cessation program. When the urge to smoke hits, try the following:
Taking some short walks or doing other exercises is easy. Avoiding sweets and other fatty foods after you quit is much more difficult. We often turn our cravings for nicotine into cravings for food, thus satisfying that oral gratification we're not getting. Again, this is where exercise can be a big help in avoiding those extra calories. Also, if you're going to nibble on things to get through your cravings, consider these ideas:
About.com: Exercise & Health
One of the scary things about quitting smoking (aside from going insane with nicotine withdrawals) is the fear of gaining weight. According to studies, the average smoker gains about 8 pounds after quitting. However, weight gain isn't inevitable! If you approach quitting the right way, you can use exercise to avoid gaining weight and help you quit for good.
Quitting and Gaining
One of the reasons for weight gain is because nicotine speeds up your metabolism. When you quit, your metabolism slows down and you might gain weight even if you're not eating more. Of course, lots of people DO end up eating more after quitting. When you stop smoking, you'll typically feel hungrier and food will taste better. You'll also need something to replace cigarettes and some folks turn to food. The combination of eating more calories while burning less results in weight gain. Before you give up on quitting, there is something you can do to avoid extra pounds.
How Exercise Can Help
Exercise is an obvious way to help avoid gaining weight after you quit. Studies show that smokers have an easier time quitting when they add exercise to their smoking cessation plan. There are some other benefits of exercise including:
- stress reduction (you'll need that as you battle with the urge to smoke!)
- reduced depression
- improved mood
- reduced craving for nicotine and an alternative idea for smokers who don't want to use nicotine replacement therapy
- improved confidence and motivation
- improved physical conditioning and performance (no more huffing and puffing!)
Using Exercise to Get Through the Cravings
Exercise can be an effective tool in your smoking cessation program. When the urge to smoke hits, try the following:
- Take a 10 minute walk, reminding yourself how much faster you can go now that you're smoke-free
- Go to Desktop Yoga and do some relaxing yoga exercises right at your desk
- Walk the stairs and keep track of how much easier it gets each day
- Go to Office Fitness Clinic to find out how to stay fit at work
- Try this office workout to get your blood moving and put yourself in a good mood
- Take a deep breath, stand up and stretch your entire body
Taking some short walks or doing other exercises is easy. Avoiding sweets and other fatty foods after you quit is much more difficult. We often turn our cravings for nicotine into cravings for food, thus satisfying that oral gratification we're not getting. Again, this is where exercise can be a big help in avoiding those extra calories. Also, if you're going to nibble on things to get through your cravings, consider these ideas:
- sugarless gum
- carrots, celery or other vegetables you can eat tons of without worrying as much about calories
- air-popped popcorn
- dried fruit and nuts
- avoid fast food restaurants at all costs!
- drink tons of water. It will fill you up and keep you hydrated so you don't feel as tired
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