Does quitting smoking cause weight gain?

The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) maintains an anti-smoking campaign through a program that includes psychological therapy, nicotine replacement therapy to prevent nicotine withdrawal, and medical care for patients with lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cerebrovascular diseases, and acute myocardial infarction.

Dr. Edgar Vinicio Mondragón Armijo, head of the Aging, Chronic and Neurodegenerative Diseases area of ​​the Clinical Excellence Division of the IMSS, commented that In Mexico, 63,000 people die annually, that is, 173 people lose their lives every day due to conditions directly related to tobacco. .

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He explained that The consumption of this substance is a public health problem due to the high morbidity and mortality rates. It is a common risk factor for six of the eight main causes of death in the world and for the four non-communicable diseases: cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer and diabetes. .

He added that globally, these diseases are responsible for 70 percent (39.5 million) of total annual deaths, of which 38 percent occur prematurely, that is, between the ages of 30 and 70 .

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He explained that this habit can cause multiple illnesses, such as cerebrovascular disease, pulmonary emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or a combination of both; it also causes acute respiratory infections such as bacterial or viral pneumonia, and cancer, mostly of the lung, but can also affect the mouth, larynx, trachea, breast, stomach, or bladder, among others .

Dr. Mondragón Armijo indicated that Conventional cigarettes contain at least 7,000 chemical compounds that are harmful to the body; at least 70 of these are carcinogenic, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide. , the latter causes lesions in blood vessels that provoke an inflammatory reaction causing atherosclerosis, over time lesions that produce blood clots with obstruction of blood flow that can cause acute myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular disease.

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He said that some people start smoking because they think they can quit at any time, "but this isn't true . Cigarettes are an addiction, and people need nicotine. On average, it takes between two and seven attempts to quit."

The head of the Aging, Chronic and Neurodegenerative Diseases area of ​​the IMSS Clinical Excellence Division, demystified some popular beliefs regarding tobacco consumption: it is a lie that it helps to relax, in reality it acts as a stimulant of chemical mediators in the brain and apparently relaxes, but the opposite occurs, when the person smokes they obtain nicotine that acts as a stimulant in their brain in addition to causing addiction .

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Regarding the idea of ​​weight gain when quitting smoking, he indicated that Without cigarette consumption, taste and smell improve, and there is anxiety due to nicotine withdrawal, which is why the person may eat more food to try to counteract the anxiety. .

Regarding light cigarettes, he said that although they have a lower amount of nicotine, "the smoker ends up smoking the same amount because they inhale more times and hit more deeply. This keeps the smoke in the lungs longer, in addition to unconsciously blocking the ventilation pores of the cigarette filter that disperse the vapors, reducing the amount of smoke inhaled, so they end up consuming practically the same amount and nicotine content."

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Dr. Mondragón Armijo emphasized that the IMSS has 2,315 Smoke-Free Spaces (ELHT), thus ensuring a favorable environment in buildings and enclosed spaces to protect workers and beneficiaries from exposure to cigarette smoke.

With information from the IMSS

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