This weight loss hack is all smoke and mirrors.
People looking to lose weight fast are turning to a new, cheap craze that doctors are warning about. Influencers dubbed “Gas Station Ozempic” are now using ZYN nicotine pouches to suppress appetite and shed pounds, saying the cheap product, which can be bought at any convenience store for about $5, is far better than the popular semaglutide weight-loss drug, which can cost thousands of dollars.
But experts say this practice is a terrible idea.
“There is a risk of becoming addicted to nicotine and the potential for long-term toxicity associated with it. There are no studies in this area, but I think the risks likely outweigh the benefits.” Dr. Anthony Pick“It’s not a good idea to use a steroid to treat chronic conditions,” an endocrinologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital told The Post.
Despite the health risks, ZYN, a nicotine pouch designed to help people quit smoking, is touted as a quick and easy way to shed unwanted pounds.
For this reason, some people call the pouch the “O-Zyn-pic.” According to Snaxshot: Here are some social media comments from people who have used the pouch to lose weight:
“Yes, I’m addicted. Another thing they don’t tell you is that you can lose a lot of weight just by replacing your hunger with gin,” said one social media user. followa video that has garnered over 67,000 likes to date.
One golfing enthusiast on social media added, “#golftipsIwishI’dknownearlier — got seriously addicted to Zyn, lost 30lbs in 1 month, and swing faster since my fat gut isn’t holding me back. Zyn took me from 7hdcp to 5hdcp in 3 weeks. Absolutely mind-blowing results.” (“Hdcp” stands for Gold Handicap, which is a rating of the difficulty of each hole, with 1 being the hardest and 18 being the easiest.)
In a statement provided to The Post, ZYN said its products are “designed and marketed to adult smokers and nicotine users age 21 and older as a better alternative to continued smoking. The statement also noted that ZYN has been on the market in the United States for about 10 years.”
Pick said nicotine could suppress appetite, but cautioned that nicotine is not recommended for weight loss purposes.
“It’s well known that nicotine can suppress appetite and have other metabolic effects,” he explained.
“However, it is probably a very bad idea to use a highly addictive substance for this purpose without clinical safety or efficacy studies. The main role of non-tobacco nicotine products is to “The idea is to transition addicted patients to potentially safer alternatives. Ideally, they should avoid nicotine in any form,” he added.
The American Heart Association also warned The dangers of nicotine point out that this substance can increase blood pressure, heart rate, and blood flow to the heart, as well as narrowing of the arteries. In addition, nicotine can harden the walls of arteries, which can lead to heart attacks.
Pick said preclinical studies are being conducted in mice. treated with nicotine and GLP-1 drugs For example, Ozempic found that the combination “has synergistic effects and may increase metabolic rate,” potentially reversing obesity.
“This may be part of the Holy Grail of weight management and part of the appeal of nicotine,” Pick explained. While he acknowledges the potential for weight loss, he says it doesn’t mean people should pick up the habit.
Not only is using ZYN patches to lose weight potentially dangerous, but it can also lead to weight regain once you stop using them.
“The argument that you should avoid smoking and other forms of nicotine is also valid because you gain weight when you quit smoking,” Pick said, noting that nicotine is well known as one of the most addictive substances. , added that quitting smoking is often extremely difficult.
“All the research and clinical experience shows that when medication is stopped, weight tends to come back on. [or using drugs to treat weight loss]and after weight loss surgery,” he said.
Pick said the primary goal of weight loss therapy is “improved health outcomes and the number on the scale.”
Pick says people who want to lose weight without drugs need to maintain a negative calorie balance, meaning they need to eat less and move more, as well as prioritize sleep and reduce stress. , emphasized that behavior change tools (such as weight tracking) may need to be used. meal).
“Studies show that weight is consistently reduced [in the range of] “Lifestyle alone can improve this by 3%, and if you make a thorough lifestyle change, you can improve it by up to 6%,” he added.
He added that there are “rare outliers” who lose more than 6 percent of their weight and then keep it off.
He added that people who lose weight with drugs need to support their bodies in other ways during the process.
“By losing weight, [using] “With medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide, or surgery, the goal is to offset the loss of lean body mass that always occurs with adequate protein intake and strength training,” he explained.
Pick said people who want to lose weight in a healthy way can see a doctor who can also evaluate them for other health issues, such as pre-diabetes, sleep apnea and asthma.
Simply put, if you’re thinking about taking nicotine to lose weight, you might be better off taking less nicotine. Butt.
