Schuetz

Government statistics show that men succeed at quitting smoking almost twice as often as women do. Why is it harder for women to quit smoking than it is for men?

Most women started smoking during their teen years, to make them look more sophisticated, and appear older. Over the years, their wish came true. Female smokers look between five and ten years older than their actual age. This is because smoking harms the skin tissue that keeps it taunt and resilient, in addition to all the other ways smoking ages your body.

The Surgeon General first reported on smoking and health in 1964. At that time, about twice as many men were smoking than women were. Now, the roles have reversed, and there are more women smoking than men.

One of the reasons that more women are smoking, and that they find it harder to quit than men do, is that many women smoke for emotional reasons. In addition to the nicotine addiction, women must deal with the reasons why they smoke before they can successfully quit smoking for good.

Women have much greater responsibilities now than they did fifteen or twenty years ago. It is more challenging to raise children; there are job pressures and insecurities, as well as financial concerns to deal with. For many women, a cigarette gives them a five or ten minute break from the pressures of their daily life. That is hard to give up.

Another major concern of women smokers is that they will gain weight when they stop smoking. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia found that the average weight gain for women that stopped smoking was about five pounds. Women who quit as part of an overall health improvement program, that included regular exercise, a healthy diet, and stress management had no weight gain at all.

Next time you light up, take a minute and think about why you want that cigarette. Is it because of an addiction to nicotine? On the other hand, is it because you need a moment to escape from the daily race? Keep track of how many times you use your smoking habit as an escape route. Then, find another activity that you can use to get away from your stress. A five-minute walk around the office, a soothing cup of tea, or even a ten minute music break with relaxing music and headphones can provide a much needed break, without harming your health.

Once you incorporate better stress management methods into your day, you will find it much easier to deal with the nicotine addiction, and quit smoking for good.

Gerri Stone is an R.N. and ex-smoker who publishes resources and tips on stopping smoking at http://www.greatquitsmokinginfo.com