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A new Austrian study has claimed that contrary to popular belief, smoking does not have the slimming effect people believe it has, but may actually contribute toward putting on weight, a medial journal said on Monday.

The researchers from the University of Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna drew the conclusion after having examined data from a routine annual health check of 986 Austrian bank employees, including information on physical activity, height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), diet, waist circumference, and laboratory values such as blood sugar levels.

They found there was no statistically significant body fat percentage difference between smokers, non-smokers, and former smokers.

They found that those who smoked more however tended toward a higher body weight and BMI, with heavy smokers on average around 10 kilograms heavier than low or moderate-level smokers.

Additionally, smokers of both sexes were found to have an unhealthier blood fat composition, as well as a higher white blood cell count than that of non-smokers, that could potentially indicate increased inflammation parameters.

The full results of the study were published in the British Medical Journal Open.