A Pot Belly Can Be Caused By Heavy Smoking

A common fear among smokers is that they'll pile on the pounds if they quit the habit. But new research has found that heavy smokers are more likely to get pot bellies.

Scientists say that while people who light up may have better control of their overall weight, heavy tobacco use tends to push fat into central areas, resulting in a protruding tummy.

Having an "apple shape" is known to be less healthy than being "pear-shaped." People with apple shapes have more weight in their waist and belly areas. People with pear shapes have more weight in their hips and thighs.

The researchers reviewed data from 29 studies involving 148,731 people with European ancestry who were either smokers, former smokers, or people who had never smoked. The information detailed the smoking habits of the volunteers, as well as their weight and waist circumference.

The analysis, published in the BMJ Open journal, revealed that some smokers had a genetic variation linked to smoking more and having a lower body mass index (BMI). But it also showed that while overall BMI in heavy smokers was lower, their waist circumference was higher than non-smokers once BMI was accounted for.

Bigger Tummies

Professor Naveed Sattar, of the University of Glasgow, who helped lead the study, explains that while smoking lessens weight overall, it tends to push fat more into the belly area.

"So, when smoker[s] put on weight, they will show bigger tummies for same weight gain than non-smokers, and this may also be linked to their greater risk for diabetes," Sattar said in a statement.

"If confirmed, a tendency for smokers to acquire an 'apple shape' might provide a novel health promotion message to encourage smoking cessation," he said.

In my personal opinion, I think smoking or any other addiction the mother might have can get passed down to the child. The nicotine in the tobacco will be in the bloodstream of the mother and will be passed through to the child. So addiction like smoking or drinking alcohol can be passed through to a newborn. 

Also if the parent has this Pot Belly shape from smoking and has his or her body fat concentrated around the waist I believe the child will inherit the same tendency to have their body fat located in the same areas regardless of whether they smoke or not.

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