HHS HealthBeat (December 14, 2007)

Fear of fat

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Smoking is deadly, but it’s hard to get unhooked. And part of the reason goes beyond the physical compulsion to smoke – it’s the fear of gaining weight when you quit.

Cindy Pomerleau of the University of Michigan looked at what women smokers said about how much weight they’d accept gaining if they quit:

``Most women state that they’re not willing to gain more than five pounds. But I think the real bedrock fear is of weight spinning out of control.’’  (9 seconds)

Pomerleau says women can manage the weight gain by good nutrition and exercise, and by cultivating a more realistic body image. And the payoff from quitting smoking is big. It’s one of the most important things people can do to improve their health.

The study in the journal Addictive Behaviors was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 26 2008