Assessment of eating behavior after smoking cessation.

Background Weight gain is very frequent after smoking cessation and constitutes an obstacle to the decision to quit smoking. Aim To assess the impact of smoking cessation on the weight and eating behaviour. Methods This was a prospective study that included thirty four smokers. A questionnaire allowing the assessment of the eating behaviour was given to all smokers at the first consultation and at one month of smoking cessation. Results The mean age was 40.32 years. Thirty two smokers were males. The mean weight had increased by 1.7 kg at 1 month of smoking cessation (p=0.00). The increase of weight was significativelly associated with the female gender, the age of smoking initiation and the consumption of cigarettes per day. The waist and hip circumferences had also increased (p=0.00). The calories intake had increased from 3875.70 Calories to 4168.85 Calories (p=0.03). Snacking had increased from de 73.5% to 82.4% (p= 0.263). The intake of lipids and carbohydrates had not changed. The intake of protein had decreased from 14.57% to 13.5% (p= 0.041). An increase of the intake of fiber (p= 0.033), zinc (p= 0.033), and vitB9 (p= 0.044) had been noted. Conclusion The weight gain is an unwanted effect of smoking cessation which justifies a global care.