Smoking can also increase belly fat, research suggests

Copenhagen: A recent study has revealed that people who smoke also accumulate extra fat in their belly which can cause serious problems.

According to research published in the scientific journal ‘Addiction’, both smoking initiation and long-term smoking can lead to increased belly fat, which can lead to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and dementia.

Although smokers appear to weigh less than non-smokers, they have more abdominal fat, especially visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that is hard to see. That is, your belly may look smaller but it contains an unhealthy amount of fat that makes you vulnerable to serious diseases.

To find out whether smoking alone causes increased belly fat or whether other factors play a role, researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark first used previous genetic studies and identified who Genes linked to smoking habits and body fat distribution.

Second, the experts used this genetic information to determine whether the distribution of body fat was different in individuals associated with smoking.

Finally, the experts also looked at other factors, such as alcohol consumption or socioeconomic status, to ensure that any association between smoking and body fat distribution was not solely due to smoking. that due to other factors.

The researchers found that the effect of smoking on abdominal fat was independent of other factors such as socioeconomic status, alcohol consumption, ADHD or physical activity. That is, smoking alone can cause excess belly fat even if other factors are not present.