A May 7, 2006 article on the website of the Pakistan News Service quotes ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross countering fears about smokers gaining weight when they quit:
Smokers who want to quit should not be deterred by this, said Dr. Gilbert L. Ross, medical director of the American Council on Science and Health in New York.
"The negative impact on lungs and lung function of weight gain by smokers who quit is way, way overshadowed by the negative impact of smoking on lung function as well as every other part of the body," Ross said.
Some people who quit don't gain weight, he added, "but even in those who do, the manifold benefits of quitting are incredibly greater than any minor adverse effect of some quitters gaining weight."