Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

UNMC Researcher: Health Benefits for Ex-Smokers Outweigh Weight Gain

Results of a recent study conducted by UNMC staff indicate it’s better to be an ex-smoker who is overweight than a smoker at a normal weight when it comes to the risk of death.

Dr. Mohammad Siahpush, professor in the UNMC College of Public Health, was the principle investigator of the study. 

He says the objective was to find out which was more detrimental, being a normal weight smoker or quitting smoking and becoming overweight. 

Siahpush says for both genders, the risk of death was lower if the individual was overweight.

"The main message to be given to smokers is even if they gain because of quitting smoking, it’s still a healthier option than continuing to smoke.”

He says one of the main reasons people relapse and start smoking again is to avoid weight gain. 

For the study, researchers used data from 53,000 people contained in the National Health Interview Survey linked to records in the National Death Index. 

The study was published recently in Tobacco Control, a British Medical Journal publication.