Table of contents:
- Is it true that smoking makes you thin?
- So, why are people who smoke thin?
- How does smoking make you gain weight?
Many people smoke to lose weight, because they say smoking makes you thin. However, is this true? Or maybe smoking actually makes you gain weight? Come on, consider the following myths and facts about smoking and weight.
Is it true that smoking makes you thin?
Your body weight is determined by the balance between your calorie intake and the amount of energy expended. If the levels are balanced, your body weight will be ideal. Well, one of the side effects of smoking is a decreased appetite.
According to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the thin bodies of smokers are obtained because they usually suppress their appetite by smoking. Instead of snacking and eating, many people deliberately choose to smoke alone. That way, the calorie intake received is lower than non-smokers.
But if a smoker still does not reduce the portion or intake of calories from food, he will not become thin. The problem is, how big is the effect of nicotine in cigarettes to suppress appetite is different in everyone's body. Therefore, you should start leaving the mindset that smoking makes you thin.
So, why are people who smoke thin?
The nicotine content in tobacco cigarettes works to disrupt hormone levels in the body. Though human appetite is also regulated by hormones. Therefore, smoking can affect your appetite.
This is why a number of studies have noted that people who smoke tend to have lower BMI (ideal body weight index) scores than nonsmokers. However, smoking is not a recommended diet or weight loss method if you want to have the ideal weight. After all, the health risks from smoking are not worth losing a few pounds on the scale. In fact, instead of losing weight, smoking can actually make you gain weight. How can?
How does smoking make you gain weight?
Although smoking can have the effect of reducing appetite, this does not necessarily apply to every smoker. The reason is, a number of studies have shown that heavy smokers are more prone to obesity or being overweight.
And it turns out, according to a study in the journal Obesity, smoking disrupts your sense of taste in your mouth. As a result, when you eat or drink, you can't enjoy the taste of food as it used to. You also become tempted to add sugar, for example. In fact, excess sugar levels will be stored as fat reserves in the body. This is what will make you gain weight.
In addition, a number of studies have shown that smokers are more likely to crave high-calorie fatty foods such as fried and junk food.. Coupled with the fact that many smokers do not exercise enough and lack nutritional intake from vegetables and fruit. These things ultimately make a smoker prone to being overweight.
So, think again if you want to smoke for weight loss. Besides not guaranteed that smoking makes you thin, you can actually gain weight because of it. You better focus on living a healthier, safer lifestyle. There are many other healthy ways you can take to reach your ideal body weight, for example by quitting smoking, exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep.