Question: What are the Health Risks of Weight Gain When I Quit Smoking?
If I quit smoking and gain weight, won't that be just as dangerous to my health as smoking is?
Answer: If you're worried about gaining weight when you quit smoking, consider this: as long as your weight is within the normal range for your height and age, it would take 80 to 100 pounds of weight gain before you'd even begin to approach the health risks you have from smoking. Don't worry about the 5 to 10 pounds that many people gain when they quit smoking. As long as your eating habits haven't changed, weight gained when you quit will come back off as your body adjusts.
Risks if you continue to smoke include:
- Death
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. It kills more than 440,000 people in the U.S. every year. Global smoking statistics tell us that a person dies every 8 seconds due tobacco-related diseases. Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, 40 of which are known carcinogens. Many of the effects of cigarette smoke on humans are still being researched. - Cancer
Your chances of contracting lung cancer are greatly increased when you smoke. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Smoking is also linked to other cancers: cancer of the esophagus, larynx, kidney, pancreas, colon, breast, and cervix. - Other Smoking-Related Health Risks
Smoking increases the risk of stroke, COPD and emphysema, heart disease, periodontal disease, and circulatory problems, to name a few. Pregnant women who smoke have an increased incidence of premature birth and low birth weight babies.
Most people find that they become far more proactive about their overall health once they are tobacco-free. When you prove to yourself that you can quit smoking, it will give you the confidence to tackle whatever challenge you set for yourself successfully!More Smoking Cessation Q&A
