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Ran across this and started laughing just from the title. With pot legal in Washington and Colorado, I'm sure we'll see if this is true or not soon enough.
Dr. Anthony Youn wrote:Does smoking pot cause man boobs?
Editor's note: Dr. Anthony Youn is a plastic surgeon in metro Detroit. He is the author of "In Stitches," a humorous memoir about growing up Asian-American and becoming a doctor.
(CNN) -- A young man in his 20s -- let's call him George -- sits across from me in the exam room.
"Dr. Youn," he says, "I have man boobs."
I notice a not-so-unfamiliar smell wafting from his body. It's the same odor that floated my way during a rock concert I recently attended.
"How long have you had a problem with this, George?"
"Hard to say. But it seems to have gotten worse over the past year or so."
"George, the first thing you need to do is stop smoking pot. Marijuana could be causing your man boobs."
Gynecomastia, otherwise known as man boobs (or moobs for short), is a condition that affects approximately 33% to 41% of men between the ages of 25 and 45. It's even more common during puberty, affecting 60% of 14-year-old boys. Interestingly, it also affects 55% to 60% of men aged 50 and older.
Although most cases of gynecomastia resolve spontaneously within a few months to a few years, in 2012 nearly 23,000 people underwent surgery to correct the condition. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), it was the fifth-most common cosmetic surgery in men.
Gynecomastia is caused by a hormone imbalance between testosterone and estrogen. When the ratio between testosterone and estrogen tips in favor of estrogen, the body responds by creating excessive breast tissue. Hence, man boobs.
Animal studies have shown that exposure to the active ingredient in marijuana can result in a decrease in testosterone levels, a reduction of testicular size, and abnormalities in the form and function of sperm.
In humans, the effects of marijuana on testosterone and estrogen levels aren't as clear. Lower testosterone levels have been reported in chronic marijuana users compared to nonusers, but not all studies support this.
Few studies have examined a direct causative effect between smoking marijuana and gynecomastia. A report in 1972 made the initial connection between cannabis and gynecomastia. This study is contrasted with a 1977 survey of U.S. Army soldiers which showed no association between smoking marijuana and gynecomastia. This study was limited, however, due to its very small sample size.
The legalization of marijuana in some state could make it easier for researchers to determine the exact effects of cannabis use on hormone levels, gynecomastia and other bodily functions. If a true link between smoking pot and gynecomastia does exist, then we should expect to see a spike in gynecomastia treatments in those states which have legalized marijuana.
Interestingly, according to ASAPS, the number of men undergoing surgery for gynecomastia nationwide rose nearly 30% from 2011 to 2012.
So can smoking pot really give you man boobs?
Probably. Although the association between marijuana and gynecomastia hasn't been conclusively proven, it appears very plausible. For this reason, the majority of plastic surgeons I've consulted with routinely inquire with their gynecomastia patients about cannabis use and recommend they stop smoking pot immediately.
So for now, if you have moobs, it's probably best to put out that joint.
At least you can cop a feel without getting peppered sprayed now.
Thought for the day: Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.
30k Ultramarines: 2000 pts
Bolt Action Germans: ~1200 pts
AOS Stormcast: Just starting.
The Empire : ~60-70 models.
1500 pts
: My Salamanders painting blog 16 Infantry and 2 Vehicles done so far!
While I'm not exactly a supporter of pot smoking, I think in this case correlation doesn't exactly equate to causation. Given how many fat-asses we have in this country, is it surprising that a lot of pot smokers would have moobs?
djones520 wrote: While I'm not exactly a supporter of pot smoking, I think in this case correlation doesn't exactly equate to causation. Given how many fat-asses we have in this country, is it surprising that a lot of pot smokers would have moobs?
Aye, probably a lot of the new pot smokers started with the moobs. That said, having a drug that causes extreme munchies will not help in getting the moobs to leave.
All the potheads I know personally are/were really lazy, so maybe that contributes too?
Mind you, none of them were fat either - they tended to spend most of their food money on pot!
Ouze wrote: I'm not an expert, but in my anecdotal... field experience, saying "marijuana leads to man boobs" is missing a step in the middle.
That step is Taco Bell and Mountain Dew.
In my scientific research*, I've found that you don't need pot to crave Taco Bell and Mountain Dew, you just need to really hate yourself, or love yourself. My theory hasn't been peer reviewed yet.
* - I was wearing a lab coat.
DR:80+S++G+M+B+I+Pwmhd11#++D++A++++/sWD-R++++T(S)DM+ Ask me about Brushfire or Endless: Fantasy Tactics
But more seriously, ''George'' just needs to get off his fat arse and do a few series of push-ups and pull-ups every day. You don't see moobs on people that do 3x20 pull-ups.
[...] for conflict is the great teacher, and pain, the perfect educator.
So with more and more states legalizing for different uses, I'd expect more serious studies to be hitting the journals, but I guess the federal money isn't there for it yet?
So with more and more states legalizing for different uses, I'd expect more serious studies to be hitting the journals, but I guess the federal money isn't there for it yet?
Universities and research groups can already obtain dispensations to experiment on most drugs.
The problem is not that there is no research being made, but that its hard to figure out which researches have been funded by interested parties.
[...] for conflict is the great teacher, and pain, the perfect educator.
So with more and more states legalizing for different uses, I'd expect more serious studies to be hitting the journals, but I guess the federal money isn't there for it yet?
Universities and research groups can already obtain dispensations to experiment on most drugs.
The problem is not that there is no research being made, but that its hard to figure out which researches have been funded by interested parties.
Excellent points. How much money would universities would throw at those studies? And how much of that funding would be provided or influenced by pro/anti marijuana contributors? It would be nice to see some newer studies rather than references to decades old papers which, in the case of this article, only seem to point out correlations. It makes it tough for me to make an informed decision.
So with more and more states legalizing for different uses, I'd expect more serious studies to be hitting the journals, but I guess the federal money isn't there for it yet?
Universities and research groups can already obtain dispensations to experiment on most drugs.
The problem is not that there is no research being made, but that its hard to figure out which researches have been funded by interested parties.
Excellent points. How much money would universities would throw at those studies? And how much of that funding would be provided or influenced by pro/anti marijuana contributors? It would be nice to see some newer studies rather than references to decades old papers which, in the case of this article, only seem to point out correlations. It makes it tough for me to make an informed decision.
maps.org (multidisciplinary association for psychedelic studies) currently list a hell of a lot of ongoing researches on medicinal application for marijuana. It seems like studies are hindered because the DEA doesn't allow researchers to grow their own or buy from outside sources.
As to the amounts these research get, seriously, I have no clue. I'm sure it's a number that would seem absolutely obscene to me, given that in my program we're (really) lucky to get 10k for a 3-years Master.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/12/06 20:10:26
[...] for conflict is the great teacher, and pain, the perfect educator.
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