Smoking is essentially speaking an oral fixation as is eating in some ways.  Therefore, when people stop smoking, they often fill that oral fixation with food and gain weight.  But does it work the other way around.  Does smoking promote weight loss?

Well, that’s a complicated question.  On one hand, you see little anorexic type girls who are constantly smoking instead of eating.  They actually replace meals with smoking, and obviously that promotes greater weight loss, because you are not eating.  But on the other hand, they don’t stop smoking, even though it’s bad for you, because many are afraid of ultimately gaining weight, which is what often happens.

If you are replacing meals with smoking, obviously actually eating healthy amounts may make you gain weight at first.  And if those foods are equally as unhealthy for you including more fats, sugars, and otherwise junk food, you are definitely going to gain weight.  But ultimately speaking, the question is does smoking promote weight loss?

Not in and of itself.  Nicotine has no appetite suppressing properties, it has no fat burning properties like amphetamines.  It has nothing that would actually promote greater weight loss.  The weight loss only comes when people are replacing meals with cigarettes.