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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Alcohol and Obesity: National Obesity Observatory report explores links


The National Obesity Observatory has published a report on the links between alcohol consumption and obesity:

Download: Obesity and alcohol – an overview

The report states that although there is no clear causal relationship between alcohol consumption and obesity, there are associations between the two which are heavily influenced by lifestyle, genetic and social factors. Many people are also not aware of the calories contained in alcoholic drinks which can contain "nutrient poor" calories, for instance there are up to 180 calories in a large glass of wine and 250 calories in a pint of strong lager.

Further key points from the report include:

  • 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 > > > > > Read More

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