NEW STUDY SUGGESTS SMOKING INCREASES HIDDEN BELLY FAT

A large-scale statistical study reveals yet another reason to quit the habit

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Stereotypes of smokers include the slender, chic Parisian type enjoying a cigarette while sitting outside a café. But a new study suggests that even slim smokers could be hiding an unhealthy type of fat inside their bodies.

There's a common belief that smoking suppresses your appetite - and many smokers worry about gaining weight if they quit. However, while they're more likely to have lower body weights, a new study has found that smokers also tend to have more harmful deep abdomen fat.

This is called 'visceral fat', and it's the unhealthy fat that's linked to higher risks of heart attacks, diabetes and dementia. In fact, visceral fat is so hard to spot that you could have a flat stomach and still be full of it.