Quitting smoking makes you fat, and now scientists know why

[OMG!]

Interesting article I ran across...

(CBS) As often happens in science, it was an accidental discovery. It solves the mystery of why a lot of people who smoke look so skinny and, more importantly, why many people who quit the habit gain weight.
"Interestingly, initially we were not looking into feeding behavior but depression," says Yann Maneur, an associate research scientist at Yale. "We were trying to find new drugs to treat depression. And as I was testing these new drugs I realized the animals were not eating as much."

At the time, Mineur and his team were testing nicotine. Curious about this unexpected effect, they looked further. Maneur says, "We found that nicotine, when it enters the brain, activates specific nicotine receptors that are located on specific neurons known to decrease feeding and increase energy expenditure when activated."
So nicotine, it turns out, triggers a brain pathway that essentially tells you: you've had enough, put that cake down. And it signals your body to start using up some energy. But does that mean people should use it to try to lose weight? "That's the trick question," Mineur says with a chuckle, "because we do not want to advocate smoking, of course."
There may be alternatives that could do the same trick. Maneur claims that there is potential for "drugs to mimic this effect to help people maybe lose weight. Or even better, when people try to quit smoking they could use drugs that are already available and known to trigger this pathway in order to potentially limit their weight gain."
The smoking cessation drug cytisine, which is sold in Eastern Europe, also triggered this brain effect on eating in this study. Developing specific drugs to do the same thing could prove to be tricky, though. The same receptors that react this way to nicotine help control the way the body deals with stress.

Read more: Quitting smoking makes you fat, and now scientists know why - HealthPop - CBS News​

 

[JW50]

I'm see this reduced eating finding show up in other research that I have read. Smoking is of course not the only way to nicotine. Nic gum, nic inhalers and of course ecigs that use other than 0mg would do it. Wonder if cytisine can be used in eliquids?

 

[OMG!]

The scary part is that they are always looking to "develop new drugs to do the same thing". Why invent a new poison when the natural drug does the trick nicely? They never even considered e-cigs as an option.

 

[JW50]

Nicotine is a complex substance in relation to our (human) systems. Seems to cause some negative effects at times and some good effects. I think probably the truth about "new drugs" is that substances that have more specific and certain effect are preferred to those that have wide range of impact, frequently with side effects. On the other hand, if you are a user of nicotine and you either don't have the side effects or don't care about those side effects, its a positive to know that one of those side effects is something we might prefer to have. BTW, is 0MG a goal or it's where you are or has it nothing to do with nic?

 

[OMG!]

It's just a silly thing to call myself because I couldn't think of anything better.

 

[Religion]

Oh Em Gee
not
Zero milligrams of nicotine
right?

 

[OMG!]

Right. LOL

I'm at 6mg, though.... down from 18mg at the beginning.

 

[MagnusEunson]

So I thought it was Oh My God at first, then Zero MG, and now back to Oh My God.....

I was starting to wonder if it meant On My Goodlordsomethingishumpingmyleg after than animated GIF. -Magnus

 

[JW50]

6 mg from 18 is approaching zero. But don't forget weight effect side effect. Is zero mg plus slice of apple pie better than 6mg plus no apple pie? Choices aren't easy. More serious. I think lower mg better than a higher mg for most people. 6 and headed to zero. Great. 18, 6 and zero all better than any a-cig.

 

[GolemGolem]

It would be a PR nightmare to try and market nicotine to anyone other than smokers. Otherwise there would be firms large and small new and old pushing nicotine as a all natural weight loss / anti anxiety dietary supplement. Just like the good old days. So much easier to sell the latest amphetamine, the latest benzodiazepine, and a doctor visit, better economically too. ;3

 

[Ronda]

Actually I quit smoking for 8 months some years ago. Took it back up after gaining 45 pounds with no signs of it slowing down... With vaping, no problems at all with weight gain! YEAH! - now to just lose that last 15 pounds... sigh...

 

[OMG!]

My personal experience, and assuming this study is correct, is that we are getting plenty of nicotine through vaping. I've lost 15 pounds in five months without trying. I just didn't feel as hungry. Now that I'm tapering down in nicotine strength I feel my appetite coming back. The other side effect of vaping, and once again assuming the cause is nicotine, is that I could not get to sleep until 3am most nights. That is starting to change back to normal as well... thank goodness!

 

[JW50]

There is some discussion above about side effects of nicotine including possible weight loss. Here is an interesting link to another possible side effect, relief from Ulcerative Colitis: E-Cig and Ulcerative Colitis Update - Ulcerative Colitis - HealingWell.com Forum

 

[MsOceanCity]

There is some discussion above about side effects of nicotine including possible weight loss. Here is an interesting link to another possible side effect, relief from Ulcerative Colitis: E-Cig and Ulcerative Colitis Update - Ulcerative Colitis - HealingWell.com Forum

I saw and read about this recently on WebMD. My dad had ulcerative colitis and was heavy smoker. Never helped him. I have lymphocytic colitis, smoked for 23 yrs and been vaping high nic for over 2 yrs. I have never gotten a break with my symptoms

 

[JW50]

I saw and read about this recently on WebMD. My dad had ulcerative colitis and was heavy smoker. Never helped him. I have lymphocytic colitis, smoked for 23 yrs and been vaping high nic for over 2 yrs. I have never gotten a break with my symptoms

Your saying in spite of nicotine, you and your Dad had the condition - right? No other treatment for the condition? Is it possible that smoking (or vaping) caused or exacerbation the condition?