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Women don't want to quit smoking because of the weight gain myth.

04/16/15

Probably everybody knows about the myth that smoking reduces weight and helps maintain a slim figure. Guided by this myth, many female smokers are afraid to quit smoking because believe that this will spoil their figure. On the one hand, it's true because smokers more often instead of snacking sweets have three-minute smoke breaks or have breakfast consisting only from coffee and cigarettes. Smoking can lead to complete indifference to food because the nicotine muffles taste buds.

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In the research course, the scientists have found a surprising thing: the nicotine contained in cigarettes, increases the activity of AZG1 gene, responsible for the breakdown of fats and some carbohydrates in the human body. However, scientists believe that the link between smoking and weight changes is much more difficult.

Once the person quits smoking, during the first two weeks, he may gain approximately 2-4 pounds. Later, the weight stabilizes. More significant weight gain occurs only in those cases, when instead of cigarettes the person begins to eat sweets and does not give up sedentary lifestyle.

In April 13, 2015 were disclosed the results of the study, in which participated more than 10,000 female smokers. The research was carried out at the University of Illinois in Chicago and was lead by Ce Shang.

The study was associated with the myth of losing weight while smoking and how this myth affects the desire to quit smoking.

It lasted 5 years, from 2002 to 2007, in it participated smoking people from different countries such as United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The results showed that women who believe that smoking helps control weight are less likely than other female smokers to try quitting in response to higher cigarette prices and anti-smoking messages.

The study also proven that after the 10 percent increase in cigarette prices, nearly for 6 percent rise the attempts to quit smoking among female smokers from US and United Kingdom, which believe that smoking has no effect on their weight.

But was not registered any significant increase in attempts to quit smoking among smoking women from UK and US, which believe that smoking helps them lose weight or keep the weight stable.

Moreover, among women who do not believe in the myth that cigarettes help maintain the weight, a 10 percent increase in exposure to anti-smoking messages was associated with a 12 percent increase in attempts to quit smoking among female in UK and US. But there are no results observed among those women who believe in this myth. Moreover, all this results were not confirmed among female smokers from Australia or Canada.

According to research author, Ce Shang: "The myth that cigarette smoking helps you maintain or lose the weight, must be taken into account by those, who make anti-smoking laws and campaigns. Because no law can be stronger than the women's desire to look beautiful and not to get weight".