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Secondhand smoke could cause weight gain. In spite of the numerous harmful health consequences of smoking, some smokers still hold to the idea that at least it helps with weight. While this may be marginally true for some smokers, it seems the opposite is happening to those around them. “In an animal study, researchers exposed lab mice to secondhand smoke and followed their metabolic progression. The findings showed that those who were exposed to smoke gained weight. Researchers found that smoke triggered an alteration in cell mitochondria, disrupting normal function and inhibiting cells’ ability to respond to insulin.” Smokers tend to lose a small amount of weight initially because nicotine decreases their appetite. But those around them get only the hazardous chemicals present in second-hand smoke, which moves from their lungs into their blood stream to affect their body. This likely contributes to childhood obesity and diabetes at a young age, given that “approximately 20 percent of young children live with someone who smokes in the home.”
