What We Will Cover:

• How smoking affects your metabolic health
• How stopping smoking can help your body
• The role of e-cigarettes in quitting smoking
• Support to help you stop smoking or vaping

Why Quitting Is Important

Quitting smoking is one of the most powerful things you can do before having weight loss surgery. It helps protect your health during the operation and supports your recovery afterwards. Surgery puts your body under stress. Stopping smoking helps ease that additional stress by allowing your lungs and heart to work more effectively, giving your body the best chance to heal well. 

Many NHS hospitals will not book your surgery if you continue to smoke and have not taken steps towards quitting, which can lead to delays. This is because smoking causes serious complications. It can affect your breathing, slow wound healing, and increase the risk of infections or even premature death.

Nicotine, whether from smoking or vaping, narrows your blood vessels (a process called vasoconstriction). This limits the amount of oxygen and nutrients your body can deliver to tissues. This slows healing and increases the risk of blood clots, ulcers, internal leaks, or perforation after surgery. Vaping is often seen as a safer option, but nicotine-containing vapes can still have similar harmful effects on recovery and outcomes. You are therefore encouraged to stop these as well before surgery.

The impact of smoking on metabolic health

You may have read our article about stopping smoking before bariatric surgery. Even if surgery is not part of your plan, quitting smoking can still make a big difference to your metabolic health. Your metabolic health is about how well your body uses and stores energy. It helps control things like:

• Blood sugar
• Cholesterol
• Blood pressure
• Body composition.

These all affect your weight and your risk of metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Research shows that smoking can disrupt how your body manages these processes. This can make it harder to reach your health and weight loss goals. It can also place extra strain on your body over time.

How does smoking affect the body?

Smoking can impact the health of many vital organs, especially the heart and lungs. It can:

• Cause damage to blood vessels and arteries
• Put more pressure on the heart
• Increase the risk of heart disease.

Smoking can also play a part in how your body controls blood sugar and may increase the risk of insulin resistance. Smoking is not recommended for any individual. However, it is especially risky if you already have, or are more likely to develop, metabolic conditions. 

Smoking, breathing, and movement

Being active is an important part of supporting metabolic health. Smoking can make this harder. Smoking damages the lining of the lungs and airways. Over time, this can increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

‍COPD is the name of a group of lung conditions that can cause difficulties in breathing. This can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and a faster onset of fatigue. When that happens, activities like walking, dancing, swimming, or cycling might seem overwhelming. This may make it harder to reach the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity each week.

The role of e-cigarettes in quitting smoking

Some people use e-cigarettes, also called vapes, to help them stop smoking. For those who smoke, this can be a first step towards quitting. It is also less harmful than cigarettes. However, it is important to remember that it is not harmless. E-cigarettes are not recommended for non-smokers. 

‍The long-term effects of vaping are still not fully known. E-cigarettes often contain varying levels of nicotine, the addictive substance found in cigarettes. Common side effects of vaping include coughing, throat or mouth irritation, and shortness of breath. 

The benefits of stopping smoking

The positive news is that it is never too late to stop smoking. The longer you stay smoke-free, the better your metabolic health will be. Your lung and heart health will improve, and you'll likely feel more active and ready to move. Alongside other health- promoting behaviours, stopping smoking supports your overall wellbeing. Many people also notice improvements in skin and dental health, energy levels, as well as confidence and self-esteem. 

Support To Help You Quit

You don’t need to quit alone. Support is available to help you stop smoking or vaping, including:

‍Summary

Smoking can make it harder for your body to optimise your metabolic health, impacting your heart, lungs, and ability to stay active. Quitting smoking can have a positive effect on your metabolic health, improve how you feel day to day, and support your wellbeing and weight goals. Help is available if you need support to quit.