News » Marijuana Smokers Less Likely to be Obese

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