It is common knowledge that quitting smoking often leads to weight gain. But it seems some people gain more than others once they kick the habit. Is it possible to predict the amount of weight one will gain or not? Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine attempted to do so in their new study.

To do so, researchers on the study used data from 12,204 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The data included information on body mass index and cigarettes smoked per day, both before quitting and 10 years later. Results were split into three different categories: non-smokers, continuous smokers and smokers who quit.

Research showed that the non-smokers gained about one pound per year each year of the study and the continuous smokers did not have a significant weight difference by the end of the study. However, those who smoked more than 25 cigarettes per day before quitting gained about 23 pounds after quitting, 16 pounds of which was attributed to quitting.

The researchers say that there are definitely other factors involved in weight gain after quitting smoking and to remember that quitting smoking is the best thing possible for their health. The weight can be easily managed with a healthy diet and exercise.