Title: Marijuana Slims? Why Pot Smokers Are Less Obese | TIME.com
Headings: Marijuana Slims? Why Pot Smokers Are Less Obese
Diet
Marijuana Slims? Why Pot Smokers Are Less Obese

Content: Marijuana Slims? Why Pot Smokers Are Less Obese | TIME.com
Diet
Marijuana Slims? Why Pot Smokers Are Less Obese
By Maia Szalavitz Sept. 08, 2011
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If cannabis causes the munchies, how is it possible that pot smokers are thinner than nonsmokers? A new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology finds an intriguing connection between marijuana use and body weight, showing that rates of obesity are lower by roughly a third in people who smoke pot at least three times a week, compared with those who don’t use marijuana at all. Researchers analyzed data from two large national surveys of the American population, which together included some 52,000 participants. In the first survey, they found that 22% of those who did not smoke marijuana were obese, compared with just 14% of the regular marijuana smokers. The second survey found that 25% of nonsmokers were obese, compared with 17% of regular cannabis users. The association between pot smoking and lower risk of obesity remained strong even after adjusting for other factors that could influence body fat and health, such as cigarette smoking, age and gender. But the correlation between weed and weight doesn’t mean that marijuana smoking actually causes weight loss. MORE: