Some of these deaths result from heart disease that was caused by smoking. In fact, cigarette smoking is the major cause of heart disease and stroke in this country. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Smokers who quit smoking decrease their risk of heart disease by 50 percent compared to people who do not quit. And just three years after quitting, the former smoker's risk of heart attack drops to the same level of those who have never smoked.
Some people are worried about gaining weight.
But the truth is, most people who stop smoking gain only five to fifteen pounds. Only a small number of those who quit smoking gain more than 20 pounds. It is possible to stop smoking and still maintain a desirable weight. There are lots of resources available that can help you learn how to eat properly when you quit smoking so that you will not gain weight. One thing you will probably hear is that exercising seems to help.