The effects of quitting smoking can be felt as early as the last hour you smoke a cigarette and will continue to increase in the long run. One of the effects of quitting smoking that many ex-smokers experience is weight gain. Why do many ex-smokers actually gain weight? Check out the review in the following article.

Causes of People Who Quit Smoking Gaining Weight

Have you ever observed people around you who quit smoking gain weight? It turns out that this phenomenon has a medical explanation behind it. Smoking has long been known to have negative effects on the body, including making smokers lose their appetite and affecting their metabolism.

When compared to non-smokers, smokers tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI), a less nutritious diet, and are less likely to be obese.

However, when these smokers quit smoking, the brain is no longer exposed to the side effects of nicotine, such as the release of dopamine, which has a pleasant effect to the body. The absence of nicotine exposure makes the brain look for other pleasure substitutes, such as foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar.

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Reporting from Healthline, Mustafa al'Absi, PhD, a researcher who studied the relationship between nicotine exposure in smoking and its effect on body weight, revealed that there are certain parts of the brain that are affected by cigarettes and other types of addiction. Compensatory behavior arises in people who try to quit smoking. Because they no longer get nicotine, they will "replace" cigarettes with foods high in carbohydrates and sugar to provide a sense of pleasure and satisfaction. This can cause ex-smokers to gain weight.

Reporting from the Better Health Channel, researchers revealed other possible reasons why people who quit smoking tend to gain weight, including:

• Dietary changes

Quitting smoking makes a person experience a change in diet and return to the initial diet, which is when the appetite has not decreased due to the effects of nicotine. There are also some people who experience increased hunger as a withdrawal symptom from quitting smoking.

• Effects of nicotine absence

Nicotine can increase the body's metabolism, so when one quits smoking, the body's metabolism slows down and burns fewer calories.

• Lack of physical activity

A sedentary lifestyle leads to weight gain.

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How to Maintain Weight After Quitting Smoking

Gaining weight after quitting smoking is sometimes a concern for smokers. Many smokers are hesitant to quit smoking because they are reluctant to experience weight gain, even though quitting smoking has far greater health benefits.

To keep weight gain at bay after smoking, you can apply the following methods:

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise can help maintain weight and provide other health benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart failure and diabetes and improving quality of life. In addition to exercise, you can also do other physical activities, such as moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for 150–300 minutes or high-intensity aerobic physical activity for 75–150 minutes per week, to help maintain heart health.

Eat healthy

Adjusting your diet can help keep weight gain at bay after smoking. Some healthy eating tips to maintain weight include:

• • Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains
  • Reduce consumption of processed and high-fat foods
  • If the urge to smoke arises, distract yourself by chewing sugar-free gum

Quitting smoking provides greater benefits to your health. If you have problems with weight gain after quitting smoking, you should consult a doctor or nutritionist.

You can also use the consultation feature on Ai Care by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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