How to quit smoking without getting fat

Researchers have found a potential new use for electronic cigarettes - controlling appetite and limiting the weight gain that often comes with quitting smoking.

In a review published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, the scientists found that it is the nicotine in cigarettes that makes smokers less likely to overeat. They suggested that e-cigarettes, which contain nicotine but no tobacco, will help prevent smokers eating too much when they quit.

E-cigarettes, which heat nicotine-laced flavoured liquids into a vapour, have rapidly grown into a global "vaping" market that was estimated to be worth around $7-billion last year.

Smoking tobacco, which can lead to fatal illnesses, is known to suppress the appetite and smokers often say they smoke to keep their weight in check. People who quit tobacco frequently say they put on weight after giving up, and the risk of getting fatter can deter smokers from trying to stop.

"Weight gain prevents some smokers from quitting so we need to explore alternative ways of helping then control their weight while removing the risks of tobacco," said Linda Bauld, a Stirling University health policy professor and deputy director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies.

Many public health specialists think e-cigarettes, or "vapes", are a lower-risk alternative to smoking but some question their long-term safety and note that they are not risk-free.

Bauld said "the benefits of e-cigarettes for smokers have been shown to far outweigh the harms. Vaping carries about 5% of the risk of smoking".

There was no evidence to support the use of e-cigarettes by weight conscious non-smokers.