Most people who have tried to quit smoking will say that one of the biggest problems they faced was the tendency to pile on the pounds. Generally, one imagines this is due to comfort eating, as the misery of nicotine withdrawal makes that big galaxy bar look that bit more appealing. It has also been suggested that smokers find continuous snacking a good distraction, both for their hands and mentally.
However new research has suggested that there may be a medical reason why smokers tend to get heavier when they quit and why those who are still smoking often find it easier to keep their weight down. Scientists from Cornell University in New York have identified a gene that burns fat, which becomes more active when someone is exposed to cigarette smoke. The gene, called AZGP1 (or alphazinglycoprotein) helps speed up the breakdown of fat by producing a protein that facilitates this process. Comparing cells taken from the lungs of millions of smokers and non-smokers, they discovered that the protein was being produced more in the lungs of the smokers. Previous studies on mice have shown that those with the protein will lose weight even if no other changes are made to their diet.
This seems to mean that smokers naturally will weigh less than their healthy-lunged compatriots. However, smoking charity ASH have warned smokers not to use this as a reason not to quit, as the dangers of smoking to long-term health will outweigh the dangers posed by putting on weight when quitting. As smokers are frequently discouraged by the weight gain, it is to be hoped that the next stage will be the development of a treatment to counteract the phenomenon.