The benefits of quitting smoking are nearly endless. Breaking the habit can lower your risk for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. It can also reduce respiratory problems such as wheezing, shortness of breath and chronic cough. The risk for developing one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, can also be greatly reduced by quitting.

However, if you’re thinking about quitting smoking, you may be hesitant due to the notion that quitting will cause you to gain weight. Unfortunately, a new study reveals that post-smoking cessation weight gain is real, and perhaps even more pronounced than previously thought. At the same time, the researchers behind the study remind us that quitting smoking is an excellent step to take toward achieving better health, even if you have to deal with some unwanted weight gain along the way.

Do People Gain Weight When They Quit Smoking?

During the study conducted by the University of Paris-South, Dr. Henri Jean Aubin and a team of other researchers examined 62 different studies on people who quit smoking. Some of these studies focuses on individuals who quit using smoking cessation aids such as nicotine patches and gum, while others focused on smokers who quit without help, or cold turkey.

Overall, the researchers found that the average individual who quit smoking in these studies gained between 8 and 11 pounds over the course of the following year. For comparison’s sake, most smoking cessation pamphlets passed out in medical offices suggest that smokers can expect to gain about 6 pounds when quitting. Average women say that they’d be willing to deal with up to 5 pounds of weight gain when quitting smoking. According to this new study, these women may need to readjust their expectations.

The actual study data breaks down like this:

• 37% of individuals gained less than 11 pounds

• 34% of individuals gained 11 to 22 pounds

• 13% of individuals gained over 22 pounds

That all sounds pretty grim until you get to this statistic:

• 16% of individuals lost weight

Is Quitting Worth the Weight Gain?

Most individuals included in these studies gained the majority of their excess weight within the first three months of quitting smoking. In the study, individuals who quit cold turkey gained 6 pounds on average during these first three months.

According to the researchers, the study gives new information to doctors who are counseling patients on ways to quit smoking, as well as the health changes they can expect to see after doing so.

The researchers explicitly stated that the health benefits of quitting smoking greatly outweigh the health detriments associated with this level of weight gain. The study authors also said that the weight gain is usually only temporary, and tends to resolve itself after a few years. Finally, the authors remind us that such a modest amount of weight gain (8 to 11 pounds) does not increase your chance of dying, while smoking certainly does.

How to Avoid Post-Quitting Weight Gain

If you want to avoid the weight gain typically associated with quitting smoking, consider these tips:

• Align your smoking cessation period with a change in eating habits. Studies show that eating fruits and vegetables may actually help you quit smoking, and taking on healthier eating habits now will certainly prevent excess weight gain.

• Exercise frequently and intensely. Exercise is a great way of releasing endorphins in your body, which will make you feel good and cancel out some of the irritability that comes with quitting smoking.

• Do things you enjoy that don’t involve eating rich, high-calorie foods. The whole goal here is to keep yourself distracted and busy so that you’re not feeling the need to reach for the cigarettes and the Snickers bars.

• Limit your access to unhealthy foods. It’ll be much easier to refrain from eating junk food if you simply don’t keep it in your house. Fill your fridge with healthy foods and chew gum if you need to occupy your oral fixation.

Do People Gain Weight When They Quit Smoking: The Bottom Line

Researchers at the University of Paris-South have discovered that people usually gain around 8 to 11 pounds after quitting smoking. Most of this weight is gained in the first three months of being smoke-free, and most of it is usually lost approximately 3 years after quitting. The researchers point out that the health benefits of quitting smoking are more than worth the modest, temporary weight gain.

The full text of the study is available online in the British Medical Journal.