Studies have revealed that quitting smoke adds a few calories to the ex-smokers body. This happens because the body feels the need to substitute the nicotine cravings with that of food. As a result people eat more on quitting cigarettes which ultimately leads to obesity.
While speculating whether smoking or obesity is dangerous, doctors and experts go with quitting cigarettes. Regardless of how much ex-smokers may weigh as a result of quitting smoking, gaining weight is considered safer than smoking. This supports evidences that suggest that smoking leads to more deaths with obesity following in line.
Researches also go onto prove that obese people live longer than smokers as they are not directly exposed to toxic gases. So the effects are irreversible in the case of smokers where it is difficult to mend the already damaged lungs through alternative therapies, surgeries or habits. On the other hand, obesity is something that can be managed with physical activity and diet.
Obese people are also said to live more normal lives than smokers but life becomes tougher to live even for those who wish to quit smoking. This is contributed by ex-smokers having to face the withdrawal and recovery symptoms like — anxiety, nicotine cravings, depression, etc.
Fierce debates continue with respect to smoking deaths outnumbering obesity deaths. The Centers for Disease Control (United States) however emphasize that obesity comes second to smoking. It was further revealed that smoking increases the risks of lung cancer 2000 times as compared to obesity. So obesity is the next big contributor of lung cancer deaths. Obese people living longer in the United States can also be a possible outcome of a great deal of people giving into eating but not smoking.
Experts suggest that the ill-effects of overeating or unhealthy diet like — high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes can be managed with drugs and physical fitness but damaged lungs resulting from smoking can be hard to heal. So smoking is certainly more dangerous than obesity.
