Alcohol and obesity
A new report from the NHS National Obesity Observatory examines the relationship between obesity and alcohol consumption. The report suggests that there is no clear causal relationship between alcohol consumption and obesity, and the complex associations between the two are heavily influenced by a number of factors. These include patter ns and levels of drinking, types of alcoholic drinks consumed, gender, body weight, diet, genes, physical activity levels and other lifestyle factors. However, there is a lack of clear evidence of the roles and interactions of all these factors, and the issue remains poorly understood.
The report summarises what can be said about the subject:
- Many people are not aware of the calories contained in alcoholic drinks
- The effects of alcohol on body weight may be more pronounced in overweight and obese people
- Alcohol consumption can lead to an increase in food intake
- Heavy, but less frequent, drinkers seem to be at higher risk of obesity than moderate, frequent drinkers
- The relationships between obesity and alcohol consumption differ between men and women
- Excess body weight and alcohol consumption appear to act together to increase the risk of liver cirrhosis
- There is emerging evidence of a link between familial risk of alcohol dependency and obesity in women
Obesity and alcohol: an overview. National Obesity Observatory. February 2012 The report can be downloaded at: