Image: Super Size Me (2004)
December 14, 2009 | 3165 views
CIGARETTES
The charge: A plethora of diseases that the Department of Health will gladly show any smoker in one poster—complete with graphic representations and photos of affected body parts and organs.
The sneaky benefits: Smoking has a slimming effect. Well, at the very least, for slim smokers. Nicotine activates the sympathetic nervous sytem, which in turn, signals the body to go into overdrive. This resulting in faster heart rate and an increase in energy expenditure of the body, thus helping maintain or decrease body weight.
Of course, this is not a good reason to light up. Doctors will tell you—and FHM agrees— that there are better, much better and much healthier ways to stay slim or slim down.
MARIJUANA
The charge: Inhaling smoke is unhealthy for many reasons, as mentioned above. But pot users should be especially warned: Studies show that daily cannabis smokers are 5.7 times more likely to have lung cancer than non-users.
The sweet leaf is also said to lower fertility.
The sneaky benefits: Marijuana has long been used for medicinal purposes. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), weed's main ingredient, is shown to relieve nausea in patients under chemotherapy. THC also stimulates appetite for people with AIDS. Its effect of lower intra-ocular eye pressure is effective for treating glaucoma.
Cannabis is also known to have generic pain relieving effects. In other parts of the globe, cannabis use has been legalized for medicinal purposes.
In our country, not yet. Bummer. Just kidding Mr. PDEA agent sir. No need to get all fired up now. You see, mister officer, if we had a bong, we'd all get along.
Again, just kidding Mr. PDEA sir.
