European research, based on 62 clinical studies, has analyzed weight changes in patients who quit smoking after the first year, with and without treatment. Patients who did not follow any therapy gained 1.1 kg in the first month, while their weight increased to 2.3 kg in the second month, 2.9 kg in the third, 4.2 kg at mid-year, and 4.7 kg at 12 months. In relation to people who quit with the help of a treatment, the results are very similar.
However, as Esteve Fernández, director of the Tobacco Control Unit (UCT) of the Institute of Oncology of Catalonia (ICO) and co-author of an editorial on the finding, clarifies to the SINC agency, the benefits of quitting smoking significantly exceed those possible risks of gaining weight .
However, there are exceptions to the study results. While 13% gain more than 10 kg after the year, 16% of ex-smokers lose weight. The researchers conclude that more analysis is necessary to identify which people are most at risk of gaining weight and preventing it, since the work indicates that gaining weight is something that worries people who try to quit smoking, especially women. According to the results, smokers are only willing to gain a maximum of 2.3 kg if they stop smoking.
