Smoking initiation and cessation in relation to body fat distribution based on data from a study of Swedish women.

In a representative sample of Swedish women, smokers were significantly less obese than nonsmokers. However, a smoker was likely to have significantly more upper-body fat than a nonsmoker of similar body mass index. Women who quit smoking experienced less upper-body fat deposition than would be expected by their accompanying weight gain, suggesting that weight gained as a consequence of smoking cessation is not preferentially deposited in the region associated with increased cardiovascular risk.