Regular smokers who try to kick the habit are prone to comfort eating and weight gain, yet another study has suggested.
University of Minnesota experts asked 42 cigarette users to refrain from smoking for a day and then choose from a tray of different snacks.
Their preferences were compared to smokers who were not asked to withdraw and a non-smoking group.
Scientists found people who had withdrawn from smoking were most likely to reach for snacks high in salt and fat, such as Oreo cakesters and Rice Krispie treats.
Overall, they consumed up to 30 per cent more calories than both non and current smokers.
Experts said the find suggested smokers were reaching for calorific snacks to fill the void of nicotine.
Around 6.9million Britons smoke, but more than half say they want to quit. In the US there are 34.1million smokers.
Studies showed people who stopped smoking, the withdrawal group, were most likely to reach for high-fat foods (top left), high-fat and high-salt foods (top right) and low-fat sweet foods (bottom left). They were as likely to reach for low-fat salty foods as people who did not smoke and those who continued smoking during the study. In most cases participants were less likely to reach for foods when they took craving-cutting drug naltrexone (black bars)
Regular smokers who try to kick the habit could gain weight, a study has found
The study, published in the read more from dailymail.....
