Alcohol appears to lower the risk of obesity in women, but may increase the risk in men

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Thursday, October 07, 2010 11:04 am Email this article
Does drinking alcohol increase or decrease your chances of being overweight? The research suggests to me that alcohol consumption appears to lower a woman's risk of being overweight, but increases the risk in men, and that drinking small amounts of alcohol daily may lower the risk, but consuming larger amounts less frequently increases the risk.

Here is a summary of some research on the subject. Women and Alcohol

Men who drink are 3-6 lbs lighter than non-drinkers

Women who consume alcohol weighed 3-6 pounds less than those who do not drink according to a 1998 study from France.

 

WOMEN, Alcohol and Weight Regain

Alcohol consumption associated with weight regain in women

Women who consume 60 grams of alcohol per week—the amount found in about six beers or six glasses of wine—are 2.4 times more likely to regain lost weight according to a recent study. 

 

Alcohol Reduced Obesity Risk in Women

Women who consumed 2-3 drinks per day or more 71% less likely to become obese

Women who consumed 30 grams of alcohol per day or more (2 or 3 drinks) were 27 percent less likely to become overweight, and 71% less likely to become obese during a 12.9 year follow-up according to a study from researchers at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

 

Light To Moderate Drinking In Women

Light to moderate drinking is not associated with weight gain in women

Light to moderate drinking is not associated with weight gain in women, however, heavy drinking is associated with weight gain according to a study from researchers at the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London, England.

 

Alcohol and Diabetes

Light to moderate drinking lowers type 2 diabetes by 20-58% in women

Light to moderate drinking is associated with a 20 to 58 percent reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes in women according to a study from researchers at the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London, England.

 

Total Amount of Alcohol Consumed vs Frequency of Alcohol Consumption

The more alcohol that a person drinks, the more likely they are to be obese, however, drinking small amounts frequently is associated with a lower risk of being obese

The more alcohol a person consumes, the more likely they are to be obese, however, for a given level of alcohol intake, people who frequently consume small amounts of alcohol are less likely to be overweight according to a study from researchers at the Centre for Alcohol Research at the National Institute of Public Health in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reported similar findings noting that the more alcohol a person consumes, the heavier they tend to be, however, the more frequently a person consumes alcohol, the leaner they tend to be.

 

MEN and Alcohol

Men who consume more than 3 drinks per day are more likely to be fat than light drinkers

Men who consume more than 3 alcoholic drinks per day have larger waists and more belly fat than men who are light drinkers or those who do not drink at all according to a study study from Royal Free and University College Medical School in London, England.

 

Men Who Drink Are Heavier

Men who drink are 4-5 lbs heavier than non-drinkers

Men who consume alcohol weighed 4-5 pounds more than men who do not drink according to a 1998 study from France.

 

Alcohol Lowers Appetite-Stimulating Hormone Ghrelin

Alcohol lowers the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin by 14-18%

Small amount of alcohol lowers the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin by 14-18% according to this study.

 

Underreporting

People underreport alcohol intake by 44%

Also note that when people were asked how much alcohol they had to drink one week ago, they underreported the amount by 44 percent according to a paper from National Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen, Denmark. This underreporting “is very clear already after 2-3 days,” the authors wrote.

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