News » Marijuana Smokers Less Likely to be Obese
September 10, 2011 by justin
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Researchers in France studied data covering more than 50,000 American adults and found, surprisingly, that regular marijuana users were less likely to be obese than non-smokers. Conventional stereotypes dictate that the results should be quite the opposite, being that after smoke cannabis users are lazy and prone to the “munchies”.
After reviewing the results, it was reported that people who smoked 3 times per week or more had an obesity rate of 14% to 17%, while people who had not smoked in the last year had an obesity rate of 22% to 25%.
Dr. Yann Le Strat, a psychiatrist at the Louis-Mourier Hospital in Colombes, France, at first thought that there must have been a mistake and ordered that the data be reviewed several times, but with the same result.
The data studied was actually a combination of two surveys, one covering 43,000 adults and the other 9,300. The larger dataset showed pot user at 14% obesity compared to 22% of non users, and the smaller dataset showed 17% for those who smoked regularly and 25% for those who did not.
In the meantime, Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo, a professor at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry in Pozzuoli, Italy, who was not part of the study, wasn’t at all surprised by its results. “There’s no evidence that repeated marijuana use can increase body weight.”
Both Di Marzo and Le Strat warned against using pot as a weight loss aid however, as they aren’t sure what the results mean. The survey did not include diet information for example.
[source Reuters]
Tags: France, Louis-Mourier Hospital, marijuana, obesity, Study, Vincenzo Di Marzo, weight loss, Yann Le Strat
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We smokers appear to have developed a resistance to the “Häagen-Dazs Effect”.
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Yes, it’s called ‘Yøgå’, no¿?
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While that doesn’t mean smoking it makes you less likely to get fat it does show the type of people who smoke it. It’s certainly true for me at least.
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That’s because I CAN’T FUCKING EAT unless I’m high. But I smoke a lot. My friends all experience the same thing too. It’s like there’s some kind of physical dependence.. I must be… ADDICTED TO THE REEFER! All jokes aside though, it is a bit annoying. But it just takes a few hits and then I gain my appetite back so its not such a big deal.
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This is a pretty normal.
A few days off the pot and your appetite will return to normal. A month later all dependence is gone.
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Yeah I’ve learned to live with it lol. Its the same with sleep too unfortunately. I’ll be up for a few days straight if I don’t toke before bed. Damn you, brain and your lack of natural cannabinoids!
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I’ve always been the same way but I moved to another country recently and haven’t been able to track down any bud yet. Even though my new bed sucks I sleep like a baby even without a toke after only a week of adjustment
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eh, really?
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marijuana smokers are more likely to be teenagers (or young adults it seems in this case) than the average non smoker. Mystery solved until someone can show that the study corrected for age.
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The authors did control for age, along with sex and tobacco use. Quoting from[ the abstract](http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/08/24/aje.kwr200.abstract): “Additionally, after adjustment for sex and age, the use of cannabis was associated with body mass index differences in both samples. The authors conclude that the prevalence of obesity is lower in cannabis users than in nonusers.”
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Well glad to hear it. I always wind up thinner when I’m smoking a lot than when I don’t anyways so I’m not surprised, I just wanted to make sure the facts were well represented
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You got schooled.
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Weed makes you thinner? That kind of schooling I can deal with!
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Correlation does not imply causation, but there is a significant correlation even when you control for age, sex, and tobacco use.
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Sorry what stats do you have to back this up?
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Haven’t seen this in a week
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I do not have an appetite unless I smoke first. A mix blessing.
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Well no shit, my munchies are seriously fucking up my diet plan.
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It seems like no one actually reads the article and they just copypastas the sensational headline.
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Found [this link](http://cannacentral.com/news/more-teens-have-smoked-marijuana-than-cigarettes-in-the-last-month/) on that page… now that’s what I like to hear!
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