Smokers tend to get pot bellies as well, study shows

Unlike a previously-believed thought that weight gain leads to a protruded stomach, a latest study has associated heavy smoking with the appearance of a fat stomach.

Smokers of 25 or more cigarettes a day reported 23 pounds of smoking cessation-attributable weight gain, and obese smokers reported 16 pounds of weight gain that could be directly attributed to quitting.

Heavy smokers are more likely to develop pot bellies, new research has found.

But in reality, smoking could be giving them a pot belly. The studies include data about the participants’ smoking habits, weight and the circumference of the waist.

Veldheer and colleagues analyzed data from 12,204 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. All the studies included in the analysis were recipients of ethics approval from the local research ethics groups.

The analysis found a genetic variation in some smokers associated with an increase in the number of cigarettes consumed and a lower mean body mass index (BMI), thus adding evidence that heavier smoking leads to lower BMI. With this, the authors of the study suggest that there may be a preferential redistribution of fat toward the abdominal part.

The co-author of the study, Professor Naveed Sattar of the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences said that even though smoking lessens the overall body weight, it does push the fat into the central area so that the overall circumference of the waist is increased.

“As a dietitian with expertise in weight management, the answer is surprisingly similar for smokers, non-smokers, anyone who wants to lose weight… eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, choose whole grains over highly processed foods and avoid liquid calories”, she said.

When a smoker gains weight, their tummies will exhibit bigger increases compared to the non-smokers who gained the same amount of weight – something that may elevate the risk of diabetes. “That’s true at point of smoking, but it means smoking is lessening the chance of putting fat on in the ‘safe bits”‘. The potential development of an “apple-shaped” body should the results of the study further be confirmed, may ignite a novel idea to boost smoking cessation.