Millions of Britons who smoke to stay slim are risking their health for nothing because smokers tend to be fatter, say scientists.
The popular notion that cigarettes stop you eating has been debunked, with experts saying that people who have never smoked tend to be thinner, reports express.co.uk.
The study is likely to shock many die-hard smokers, especially girls who were influenced by images of waif-like models such as Kate Moss drawing on a cigarette.. These images had helped to perpetuate the notion that smoking keeps you trim.
But a new study by a Spanish team suggests smoking does not keep obesity at bay.
The team, from the University of Navarra, followed more than 7,500 people over four years, monitoring what they ate, how much they exercised, how much they weighed and whether they smoked.
They found people who smoked and then tried to give up gained the most weight.This is probably because beating an addiction to nicotine can leave quitters with cravings they often curb using junk food.
