If you smoke and have weight around your waist, that belly fat could be a smoker’s belly! Most people have never heard of a “smoker’s belly,” but studies have been done in the past more than once that explain why you’re on the skinny (or fat) side and have a protruding stomach.

Smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers, but not all smokers are thin either. And although smokers weigh less than non-smokers, they tend to have more belly fat. One of the studies that was conducted in England of 21,800 British men and women reported that although smokers have a lower BMI (Body Mass Index), they have more belly fat.

And compared to people who have never smoked, smokers had smaller waist-to-hip ratios than current smokers. And the more cigarettes smoked, the bigger the belly. So if you start smoking even more cigarettes, it means that you will continue to increase the size of your belly. When current smokers were compared to ex-smokers or people who had never smoked, smokers had larger waist measurements and smaller hip measurements.

This research suggests that smoking can lead to belly fat if you don’t have it now and more belly fat if you do have it now and also a reduction in lean muscle mass.

Although smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers, of course, not all smokers are thin. When smokers start to gain weight or fat, non-smokers are more likely to put it around the belly and this is verified in another study.

It is not yet known why smokers tend to accumulate more abdominal fat than non-smokers. However, some researchers assume that smokers are more likely to eat foods high in saturated fat than non-smokers, but this has not been proven. Why the body tends to distribute weight in the midsection has yet to be discovered. Perhaps the chemicals in cigarettes or tobacco influence hormone levels.

What can you do about it if you have a fat belly? Quitting smoking is the first thing you want to do. When you quit smoking, your body will adjust and you will slowly lose belly fat, as long as you don’t consume extra calories. Combine this with a weight loss program or weight loss plan or diet that you design and you will lose weight and get rid of belly fat fast. Your waist line will shrink and you will lose inches that have been around for a long time.