Weight gain has long been associated with quitting smoking, but new European research has found that giving up cigarettes can lead to more weight gain than originally thought.

A study conducted in the UK and France has found that giving up smoking will usually lead to a weight gain of between 4kg and 5kg, more than the average 2.9kg expected by quitters.

But researchers at France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and the UK’s University of Birmingham stressed they didn’t want their findings, in any way, to discourage people from quitting smoking.

They said that although more weight is gained by those who quit, the health benefits of quitting smoking far outweigh the harm of putting on some extra kilos.

“Although obesity is positively associated with an increased risk of all causes mortality, cohort studies indicate that modest weight gain does not increase the risk of death; smoking does,” the researchers wrote in the British Medical Journal.

The aim of the research was to find out the impact that quitting smoking would have on body weight in those who quit successfully.

Those who quit smoking without the help of nicotine replacement therapy gained an average of 1.1kg in the first month, 2.3kg by the second month, 2.9kg by the third month, 4.2kg by the sixth month and 4.7kg after a year.

The study found that 34 percent gained 5kg to 10kg, while up to 13 percent gained more than 10kg. But it’s not all bad news, with 16 percent losing weight. The researchers noted a large variation in weight change depending on the individual.

“That’s more than people have previously said and also it varies a lot between people,” said Professor Paul Aveyard, who helped conduct the study. “Some people don’t put on any weight at all, while others put on maybe 10kg in the first year.”

Some anti-smoking activists are concerned that the research will deter people from quitting, especially women.

Blythe O’Hara, manager of cancer prevention at the Cancer Institute NSW, told Woman’s Day it is important to remember that you can lose these extra few kilos, but the damage that smoking can do to your body may be irreversible.

“It is important for all women to know that the health benefits of stopping smoking are far greater than putting on the weight suggested by this study,” she said.

“The reality is, this weight gain is not instant or guaranteed to happen to you. Many people replace cigarettes with unhealthy snacking or responding to their newly revived taste buds and appetite with a new interest in food. The latter is a good thing, but it is important to make healthy choices with meals and snacks to prevent weight gain.”

While the latest figures from the Cancer Institute NSW reveals that approximately 40,900 people across NSW have quit smoking in the past year, there are many reasons why people are indecisive about kicking the habit and O’Hara said weight gain may be one of them.

For those who do decided to quit, O’Hara said it is important to keep the following things in mind, have an action plan in place, be mindful that it may take multiple attempts to quit and that different methods work for different people.

“It is important, most of all that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself over the first few months of quitting,” she said.

“Go easy on yourself and if you find yourself reaching for the occasional chocolate rather than a cigarette — that’s okay. Once your nicotine cravings have subsided you will be in a stronger position to take up other healthy habits if you do find you have gained a little weight.”

Researchers involved in the European study have suggested, that while more research needs to be done on which people have a greatest risk of losing weight, the current results can be used by doctors to provide those who have decided to quit with a realistic range of weight gains and goals.

And O’Hara agreed that the study results can assist smokers in their decision to quit.

“If smokers understand that it is normal to gain some weight after quitting, particularly in the first few months, it does provide them with an opportunity to think of strategies to improve their lifestyle,” she said.

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