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Do you gain weight after quitting smoking?

Written by
SmokeLess Team
Updated
Reading time
5 minutes
Sources
3 primary sources

Short answer

Some people gain weight after they stop smoking. Two documented reasons are that taste and smell recover so food is more appealing, and that eating replaces the hand-to-mouth habit. This is described in cessation guidance, and it does not cancel out the benefit of stopping.

Key points

  • Weight gain after quitting is documented in cessation guidance.
  • Recovering taste and smell is one reason.
  • Eating replacing the hand-to-mouth habit is the second.
  • Not everyone who quits gains weight.

Why it happens

Taste and smell recover. After stopping, food tastes stronger. Plenty of people eat more without noticing.

The hand-to-mouth habit. Smoking is a sequence of movements repeated many times a day. When it stops, snacking often fills the gap.

What to put next to it

Weight gain is reversible and manageable.

Smoke is not. For the people you live with, the only difference that means anything is between smoke and no smoke. WHO states there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

If weight is a genuine concern

Raise it at the start rather than after it happens. When you call 1800 6606 or see a doctor, say that this is something you care about. A counsellor can factor it into the plan with you.

One thing at a time

Guidance usually suggests not making two large changes at once. Quitting and starting a strict diet simultaneously raises the chance of abandoning both.

Common questions

How much weight is typical?
It varies widely between people, and not everyone who quits gains weight. If weight is a concern for you, raise it at the start when you call 1800 6606 or see a doctor.
Should you diet at the same time as quitting?
Guidance usually suggests focusing on one thing first. Two large changes at once raises the chance of abandoning both. Ask a doctor about the right order for you.

Sources for this article