This weight loss hack is all smoke and mirrors.
People looking to shed pounds fast have turned to a cheap new craze that doctors are sounding the alarm against. Called ‘gas station Ozempic,’ influencers are now using ZYN nicotine pouches to help suppress their appetites and lose weight, saying the inexpensive buy — which runs about $5 at a convenience store — is a far better deal than popular semaglutide weight loss drugs, which can cost thousands of dollars.
But the habit, experts say, is a terrible idea.
“There are the dangers of becoming addicted to nicotine and the potential associated long-term toxicity. There are no studies in this area but I think likely the dangers outweigh the benefit,” Dr. Anthony Pick,an endocrinologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, told The Post.
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Regardless of the health risks, ZYN, a nicotine pouch designed to help people quit smoking, is being touted as a fast and easy way to shed unwanted pounds.
This has even led some to nickname the pouches “O-Zyn-pic,” according to Snaxshot, who rounded up social media comments from people who lost weight with the pouches.
“Yeah I’m addicted. Like the other thing they don’t tell you is you’ll lose so much weight just replacing Zyn with any hunger,” said one social media user, @thiccyfowler, in a video which has over 67,000 likes to date.
The social media golfer enthusiast added: “#golf tip I wish I knew earlier — develop a crippling Zyn addiction, lose 30lbs in a month, swing faster now that your fat gut isn’t holding you back. Zyn took me from 7hdcp to a 5hdcp in three weeks. Absolute mind bending results.” (“Hdcp” refers to a golf handicap, which is a rating for the difficulty of each hole. One is the hardest and 18 is the easiest.)
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In a statement provided to The Post, ZYN noted that their product is “designed and marketed for existing adult smokers and nicotine users age 21 and older as a better alternative to continued smoking.” The statement also noted that ZYN has been sold in the US for about a decade now.
Pick said nicotine may suppress appetite, but warned that taking nicotine for weight loss isn’t recommended.
“It is well-known that nicotine can suppress appetite and has other potential metabolic effects,” he explained.
“However, using a highly addictive substance for this purpose, with no clinical safety or efficacy studies is likely a very bad idea. The major role for non-tobacco nicotine products is to be able to move patients addicted to cigarettes to arguably a safer alternative. Avoidance of nicotine in any form is ideal,” he added.
The American Heart Association has also warned against the dangers of nicotine, noting that the substance can cause increases in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and narrowing of arteries. On top of that, nicotine can contribute to a potential heart attack by hardening artery walls.
Pick mentioned there have been preclinical studies on mice treated with nicotine and GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, which found the combo was “synergistic and may increase metabolic rate” and thereby reverse obesity.
“This is part of the holy grail of weight management and may be part of the appeal of nicotine,” Pick explained.Despite acknowledging the potential for weight loss, Pick says that doesn’t mean people should pick up the habit.
Not only is using ZYN patches for weight loss potentially dangerous, people could regain their weight once they stop taking them.
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“Weight gain occurs with quitting cigarette use, so it is another argument to avoid smoking and otherforms of nicotine,” Pick said, adding that quitting is often extremely challenging as nicotine is well-known to be one of the most addictive substances around.
“All studies and clinical experience have shown there is a trend to weight regain off pharmacotherapy [or using drugs to treat weight loss], and post weight loss surgery,” he also shared.
Pick said that the main goal of weight loss therapy is “improved health outcomes and numbers on a scale.”
Pick emphasized that people who want to lose weight without drug interventions will need to sustain a negative calorie balance — meaning they’re eating less and moving more — plus prioritize sleep, reduce stress and may need to use behavioral change tools (like tracking their meals).
“Studies show a consistent weight loss [in the range of] 3% with lifestyle alone and up to 6% with intensive lifestyle change efforts,” he added.
He added there are “rare outliers” who have surpassed weight loss of 6% and can then keep the weight off.
He added that people who lose weight with drugs need to support their bodies in other ways during that process.
“With weight loss [using] agents such as semaglutideor tirzepatideor surgery, the goal is to have adequate protein intake and strength exercises to try offset the invariable loss of lean mass that occurs,” he explained.
Pick said people who want to lose weight healthily can see a doctor who can also assess them for other health issues, such as pre-diabetes, sleep apnea or asthma.
Long story short, if you’re thinking of taking up nicotine to lose weight — you may want to nip that in the butt.
