Smoking cessation and weight gain

Significant progress has been made in the research on smoking cessation and weight gain since the 1988 Surgeon General's Report, particularly on mechanisms and treatment methods. Smoking cessation results in weight gain in most quitters, primarily due to changes in caloric intake and to a lesser extent from changes in energy expenditure. Thus far, pharmacologic treatments appear more efficacious at preventing the weight gain than behavioral methods. And regarding who should receive treatment, preliminary research suggests that females are more concerned about postcessation weight gain than males, and it is the concern about weight gain--more than the weight gain itself--that appears to play an important role in relapse to smoking. Given the progress that has been made along the spectrum from mechanisms to treatment, those concerned about postcessation weight now have treatment options for preventing weight gain in the critical period immediately after smoking cessation. However, continued research into mechanisms, treatment methods, and individual differences will surely result in new and more effectively tailored treatment options.