Tobacco use is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases like cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
The idea that cigarette smoking helps control body weight has been part of popular culture for many years.
For many smokers, the anticipation of weight gain can hinder the campaign of smoking cessation.
The mechanisms through which smoking decreases body weight are complex and incompletely understood.
Most of the effects of cigarette smoking on body weight are mediated by nicotine
Nicotine reduces body weight by raising the resting metabolic rate while blunting the expected increase in food intake in response to the increase in metabolic rate.
Nicotine also produces other metabolic effects that directly relate to body weight or composition, including insulin resistance.
When smokers quit smoking, the loss of the metabolic boost and appetite suppression conferred by nicotine is often accompanied by increased caloric intake but no increase in physical activity.