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That's just unacceptable reporting. There can be NO downsides to quitting smoking, and absolutely NO benefits to smoking, period.
To suggest otherwise is pure blasphemy!
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I have smoked for 30 years. 10 cigs a day. I feel in perfect health. Everything in moderation. If find it very pleasurable. With all the toxic food out there these days I worry more about fast food junkies. I feel sorry for people who do not smoke.
I quit many years ago, but did it cold turkey. I don't remember gaining any weight. I know the story is true, but there are some people who do not gain. I didn't use food as a vice I guess.
I agree, Jay. I did the same thing after smoking 1 pack/day for 10 years. Quit cold turkey. I actually lost weight. How? Everytime I wanted a smoke, I'd go outside for a walk, run (not far - maybe a quarter mile), to the gym, etc. I'd also eat fresh veggies and drink a TON of water. If you actually read up on smoking, it changes your "set point" in how you feel hungry/full. So you have to be very aware of when you are actually full compared to just wanting to eat.
My guess on the results of this study? When I smoked I wasn't active. So my thought on this is yes, its probably true BECAUSE the new ex-smokers aren't doing any kind of lifestyle change (eating & activity habits) to counter the new change.
And I also agree with the post that there should be no benefits to smoking. This "study" kind of enables the smokers to continue....right?
Nothing increases the risk of death. Nothing decreases the risk of death. The risk of death is 100%. All smokers die. All anti smoking crusaders die.
"Nothing increases the risk of death. Nothing decreases the risk of death."
Did you make that up yourself? Thought so.
Semantics. We all know that they are talking about a premature death.
Just to clarify smokers and NON smokers all die! Just because you are a non smoker it does not make you immortal or superior to smokers. (That always drives me crazy.)
There are people who have never smoked that get diagnosed with lung cancer.
That being said it is better to not smoke than smoke. Smoking costs too much, makes a smoker smell, makes the person a social outcast at times and can cause real lung issues.
If you do smoke, you can do it, you can quit! When I quit smoking I was so grumpy I couldn't stand myself but that was only for about a week and then things started getting better.
Rather than worrying about gaining a few pounds invest the cash that you use to buy cigarettes and join the gym or the YMCA or buy a good pair of walking shoes. When you are climbing the walls from nicotine withdrawal (and you will believe me you will) you can exercise until you get past it. No weight gain and a different sort of smelly clothes.
"Pre-mature death" is a misnomer. When your number is up, you die. What you die of is of little consequence. I also disagree with weight gain being better than smoking. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart attacks.. for YEARS these have all been things associated with being fat. Since more than half of the population is already fat, that "little" weight gain could be the straw that breaks... just sayin'. If someone wants to stop smoking, great. However, smokers have been beaten to death by non-smokers for years. How about we go after the drinkers now?
Ok lets look at this correctly--the EPA has done everything to make the air in America CLEAN! Right? This has included sending most jobs to China and other countries! Put emission controls on vehicles--and they do not work, just uses more gasoline. Coal fired power plants--"clean up or close"!
Well did it work? NOPE! More nonsmokers are getting lung cancer than ever before, why you ask? Simple, the dirty air now is coming from Russia, china, mexico, etc. Plus there are MORE, MANY MORE PEOPLE! So no matter about smoking, the AIR is filthy! So WE ALL are at risk. Period! Great job EPA!
From a nonsmoker
Yes, we all know that the cars of today use way more gas then they did back in the 70's when there were very lax emissions standards.......
Maybe next time you can post something that's actually relevant to the article.
Again, you're an overly bombastic typical uneducated American citing facts and figures you know nothing about to further your own agenda.
1) Lung cancer rates are dropping and have year over year.
2) In terms of the effectiveness of the EPA, you can thank your Republican administrations of years prior for this.
3) America uses more Natural Resources (fossil fuels) than any other industrialized nation in the world, thus, more pollution.
And Dan, yes, it's relevant, only factually inaccurate.
Keith,
Been watching some Fox news? Thought so.
When I quit (I was a 2 pack a day smoker for 42 years), I gained 35 pounds and became Type II diabetic. Over the last 5 years I've managed to shed 15 of those pounds and have gotten my blood sugar back under control, but it has been a struggle. I have no doubt that cigarettes helped keep me slim. I believe the tar helped protect my lungs from germs too. I've had more respiratory illness since I quit smoking than I had the whole time I was a smoker. But I can climb stairs now without having to stop every half a flight to catch my breath. I can't go very fast, because my knees hurt from the extra weight, but I don't wheeze.
John: keep the faith...you can slowly build up the immune system to resist the germs in our environment and I may offend some with this comment but a UC Berkeley study (Massive study, over many years with hundreds of participants) found that marijuana smokers protected their lungs from carcinogens with their habit and had far less pain overall with no side effects (there are different ways to administer the active ingredient) and had fewer lung maladies especially if they were also cigarette smokers or past cigarette smokers. Perhaps a specific strain would help with your pain w/o causing bad side effects or affecting your, shall we say, "Lucidity". I don't know if it's legal in your area, but I'm not going to recommend something for pain that will hurt you more than it helps, like our more traditional prescription painkillers all do.
Good for you, though, on the smoking and the management after. Incidentally...I'm not a marijuana smoker, just citing the study.
Well I'm not sure how much healthier I am after quitting smoking. I put on 30 lbs. The only way I could quit was to replace one addiction with another....ice cream. So I'm in a similar boat as JohnCarter, now pre-diabetic and having gone through menopause can't seem to get the weight off. I don't feel any different otherwise.
I quit a year ago. I have gained 50 pounds. I thought if I quit I would feel better. I don't. I feel like s**t.
I too was a 2+ pack a day smoker for over 40 years. I quit about 7 years ago after struggling many times trying to. I gained around 30 pounds in the first year, developed type 2 diabetes, emphysema, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The only thing I had before quitting was the emphysema. The emphysema was the reason for quitting, I couldn't breath very well. I too believe that smoking kept all the other problems at bay and if it weren't for the breathing problems I would have never quit!
I quit cold turkey over 10 years ago. I gained over 30 pounds. I exercise and eat fairly well but I can't get rid of the weight. I am glad that I quit and I am glad that they are finally being realistic over the weight gain. Smoking kept me skinny and that's a fact.
Yes, when I quit smoking 25+ years ago I started to put on weight. And at 5'11", 140lbs, that was not a bad thing. However, when I noticed that I was putting on weight, i decided to start exercising to help my lungs recover etc. Now at 59, I ride my bike 20+ miles four days a week and lift light weights 4-5 times a week.
So yeah, you're going to put on weight. But it will change your life in so many positive ways, the weight really shouldn't stop you.
People who live in Los Angeles are all smokers due to the smog.
Japan leads the world in life expectancy and also has is the biggest smoking nation per capita in the world. The US is around 40th in world life expectancy. Just behind Cuba.
I quit a year ago for the second time. The first time I quit for any decent amount of time was about 15 years ago and I quit for 3 years. I lost 30 lbs but only because I was determined not to gain weight. This time I quit I put on 15lbs in spite of walking 8 miles each day and really paying attention to what I ate. I attribute the difference more to pre menopause than the lack of smoking. Still, it's been a struggle and I miss smoking a lot. I'm not pre diabetic but if I knew I was going to gain this much weight I might not have quit.
This can't be much of a surprise for anyone who's ever smoked and quit. I gained close to 20 lbs after I quit and more after my kids were born. It drives me crazy when I see young women smoking, because I know most of them are doing it to keep their weight down, and they'll pay the piper sooner or later, but I can't deny also being wistful about being that slender.
I quit smoking 8 years ago and yes, I gained weight, but it is much easier exercising now then before I quit. I'll tell the secret again that my father told me when he quit and it works. I tried patches and gum, but I always started smoking again. Then my dad told me he tried to quit a couple times unsuccessfully until he found out as I did, that the trick is to keep trying to quit. Every time you quit smoking, I made it for 8 months earlier, I would break down and smoke, then the next day I would start smoking again like I had never quit. The secret is to quit smoking again as soon as you can. Forgive yourself for having a few cigarettes, throw away the pack and start fresh again the next day. The trick is every time you quit, it becomes easier and you're better able to fight the addiction. Eventually the physical addiction loosens its hold and you are dealing only with your psychological addiction. Although, you may think you will never stop thinking about cigarettes, eventually you will, and the freedom you'll enjoy is worth it. I had smoked for more than 30 years and now I am free of that nasty, dirty, filthy suicidal habit. Good Luck, hope to see you on the other side.
When I quit smoking cold turkey I gained almost 15 pounds; 10 came off pretty easily once I was through the withdrawl phase (about 10 weeks) The other 5 pounds I needed. In return, I gained the ability to hike, bike, and concentrate for more than 50 minutes without having to feed my addiction.
And for anyone who thinks that the risks of smoking have been artifically inflated, you're deluding yourself. Smoking is linked with almost every cancer, not just lung. It also makes you a much higher surgical risk, and makes you smell bad.
I quit two years ago and have gained an gained all this time. This march I finally joined Weight Watchers and have taken off 27 pound and still have about 40 to go. The funny thing is, dieting has caused me to crave cigarettes again. Sometimes I just feel like I have to either eat or smoke, especially under stress. I started doing low nicotine electronic cigarettes and that has helped a lot. I think this is an issue that I will be dealing with for the rest of my life.
Yes, you probably will but it is still better than smoking. I quit 13 years ago and gained much more weight than the literature and my doctor told me to expect and taking it off has been an ongoing battle. Nonetheless I'm glad I quit, no longer miss it at all, can't stand the thought of lighting up and have just resigned myself to dealing with losing and maintaining a healthier weight instead. Even with the added weight I have felt so much better physically and mentally.
How long did it take you to stop missing it? I quit 6 1/2 months ago and just reading these comments makes me want to smoke.
It was a few years. After several months I would find myself thinking I'd like a cigarette but I wasn't going crazy for a cigarette - I just though I want one - told myself I couldn't have one - and moved on. It does get easier, but it was several years before I really didn't even like the smell of tobacco and couldn't imagine smoking again. It's not easy and it takes much longer to beat the addiction than it took to get addicted, but it is worth it. And just to let you know - This was the fourth time I quit. Once I quit for two years and went back to smoking!
I have always committed myself to not being an obnoxious ex-smoker. Just told my friends who struggled with the addiction that they would find the way and will to quit when they were ready to, to not give up because they went back to smoking after the first few (or several attempts) and that everyone has to find their own "tricks" to get them through. For me, I used nicotine patches and switched from coffee to tea for a month (because "coffee and a cigarette" was one word) along with some other little mind tricks I played with myself. It took me four attempts to put together all the assistance and mental tricks it took to succeed.
Don't give up and good luck!
One cigarette a day and the effects of quitting are mitigated and you don't have to torture your body to do it... chain smoking is a psychological conditioned result of massive advertising for compulsive behavior and as an addictive substance the federal govt's tax subsidies to tobacco and sugar implicates all of society and no one has a right to tell someone else it's easy to quit. A patch 24/7 what kind of addiction is that. Meanwhile we get auto exhaust and other pollution 24./7... and used to be sidestream smoke everywhere, just how much cancer did the non-smokers get?...the way people act today it would have meant nonsmokers would have the same cancer rate due to sidestream smoke...