Do quitters have anything to lose? Changes in body mass index for daily, never, and former smokers over an 11-year period (1990--2001).
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present study was to examine whether body mass index (BMI) trajectories differed between daily smokers, never smokers, and former daily smokers among a population-based sample over an 11-year period.


METHODS
A cohort of 1,166 adults (n = 579 men; n = 587 women) self-reported BMI during a general health interview twice administered in two regions in Norway. Of the participants, 37.5% were never smokers, 31.6% current smokers, and 31% were former smokers.


RESULTS
Those who had quit smoking within the past five years had the highest age-adjusted BMI increase, gaining 3 kg and 5 kg more weight on average than current smokers (women and men, respectively). No significant differences in weight gain over the 11-year period existed between never smokers and former smokers who had quit > or = five years ago.


CONCLUSIONS
Our finding that former daily smokers (> or = five years since quitting) demonstrated equivalent BMI increases to never smokers (1990-2001) is in line with evidence suggesting that the average body weight of quitters tends to stabilize over time to levels of never smokers. As post-cessation weight gain often represents a barrier to successful quitting, improved knowledge about the temporal and variable effects of smoking cessation on long-term weight outcome may strengthen motivational enhancement and relapse prevention efforts.
Reas
Deborah L
DL
Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. d.l.reas@medisin.uio.no
Nygård
Jan F
JF
Sørensen
Tom
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D012907:Smoking; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain