A study published in the open access journal PLOS ONE suggests that heavy smokers gain more weight post-quitting. Individuals can gain substantial amounts of weight when they quit smoking, even with nicotine replacement therapy.
Researchers at the Kyoto Medical Center, Japan, studied weight gain patterns in individuals who successfully abstained from smoking after nicotine replacement therapy at a clinic. They found high scores on the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), suggesting more severe dependence, correlated with the amount of weight participants gained when they quit.
Higher serum triglycerides and lower HDL-cholesterol levels at the start of therapy were the other factors that were significantly associated with post-smoking weight gain.
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