How do nicotine and caffeine affect hunger?

Question

I'm wanting to gain some weight, im skinny and have been skinny my entire life. In the past couple of months I have noticed that I hardly eat anymore. I've cut back on work to reduce my stress level and I still cant eat as much as I use to. I eat once a day then a couple snacks here and there. I drink dr peppers all day long though, and I dip too. When I do get hungry I can put a dip in or drink a dr pepper and I wont be hungry again for hours.... Anyone have a solution, (other than stopping my habits) on how to eat more, or at least some info to help me understand why I eat the way I do.

Answer 1

Dude, you need to see your regular doctor, and tell him/her exactly what you wrote in your question.  Your doctor will help you.  Something not quite right is going on. Both nicotine and caffeine can be appetite suppressants.  You have to cool it on both. But still, you eat to eat food.  Dr. Pepper is c**p.  Nothing but sugar.  If you keep this up you're gonna have problems. You need nourishment, hon.  Please get some help from your doctor.  :)

Answer 2

Nicotine is a narcotic, and quells hunger.  This is part of why smokers who quit tend to gain weight.

The Dr Pepper contains refined sugar, which is absorbed rapidly by your bloodstream.  Hunger, though felt in your stomach, is actually triggered in your brain when your blood sugar is low.  Elevating your blood sugar with candy or a soft drink diminishes your hunger.

Dr Pepper also contains caffeine, a stimulant very similar to amphetamine,  and that also reduces your hunger.  

Hmmmmm!  Your awareness that you are skinny indicates that you are not anorexic.  You just don't eat enough.

The best way to safely gain weight is to increase your intake of protein.  Protein can be converted by your body to sugar if necessary for energy, while neither carbs or fat can turn into tissue.  Try a very high protein diet (Sylvester Stallone had a dozen raw eggs every day while bulking up for his first "Rocky" movie), keep up the sugar and caffeine,  and slow down on the nicotine.  

If you find that you have to force yourself to eat, then you have a psycho-medical issue that should be addressed.  See a doctor.      

Answer 3

Nicotine is a powerful appetite suppressant. All the Dr Pepper is doing is filling you up so you won't eat as much. Eat a sandwich when you get hungry, then drinking one. Same with the dip. Eat first then dip. You won't have to stop your habits, just alter them a little bit.

Answer 4

Nicotine can be a substitute for food, so it can cause malnutrition. Caffeine as far as I am aware does not cause any problems with hunger, but I would get off the nicotine, and my only guess with the Dr. Pepper is because any carbonated drink will make you feel full.  

Answer 5

dont quit the dip or the dr. pepper i have been on them both swallowing dip spit from grizzly wintergreen in school  since 7th grade now a sophomore  just eat at normal times hungry or not if ur not hungry eat a little snack like potato chips and keep this up soon if u follow schedule you wont want nicotene at these times and ur stomache will tell you to eat and as this pattern goes on it will stretch the stomache and you wil \l be able to eat a normal meal at a normal time without interference and for some reason dipping makes me hungry? am i wierd or just got the bad end of the deal?