▁app et ite ▁supp ression , ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁some ▁people ▁who ▁do ▁not ▁smoke , ▁but ▁use ▁nic ot ine ▁g um ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁weight ▁control ▁or ▁weight ▁loss . ▁ ▁Nic ot ine ▁can ▁also ▁lower ▁ins ul in ▁levels ▁in ▁a ▁person ' s ▁blood stream , ▁which ▁can ▁reduce ▁c rav ings ▁for ▁sug ary ▁food s . ▁Furthermore , ▁“ nic ot ine - trigger ed ▁effects ▁of ▁ad ren al ine ▁on ▁the ▁st om ach ’ s ▁mus cul ature ” ▁lead ▁to ▁temporary ▁feelings ▁of ▁subs ided ▁hung er . ▁Other ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁sm ok ers ▁exp end ▁more ▁cal ories ▁while ▁engaged ▁in ▁activity , ▁which ▁echo ▁conclus ions ▁that ▁sm ok ers ▁experience ▁height ened ▁met abol ic ▁rates . ▁Also ▁worth ▁not ing ▁are ▁the ▁di ure t ic ▁properties ▁of ▁nic ot ine , ▁which ▁causes ▁lower ▁calci um ▁levels ▁in ▁the ▁blood . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁however ▁" in cre asing ▁evidence ▁that ▁sm oking ▁is ▁condu ci ve ▁to ▁greater ▁accum ulation ▁of ▁vis cer al ▁fat ▁and ▁greater ▁ins ul in ▁resistance ▁and ▁that ▁sm oking ▁increases ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁met abol ic ▁synd rome ▁and ▁type ▁ 2 ▁di ab etes ". ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁much ▁controvers y ▁concerning ▁whether ▁sm ok ers ▁are ▁actually ▁th inner ▁than ▁n ons m ok ers . ▁Some ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁sm ok ers — including ▁long ▁term ▁and ▁current ▁sm ok ers — we