To our knowledge, there does not appear to be any experimental evidence specifically testing the effects of heavy/binge drinking, or of drinking spirits or a combination of alcohol sources on weight gain/obesity. A summary of the studies examined in this article, organized by the trend between alcohol and weight gain/obesity can be found in Table 1. The number of drinks a person consumes and the rate at which he or she consumes them influence how much alcohol enters the brain and how impaired that person becomes. The amount of liquid in one’s glass, can, or bottle does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is in the drink. These definitions facilitate objective assessments of how much a person is drinking, enable comparisons of alcohol consumption within and across studies, and help consumers follow low-risk drinking guidelines. Prospective studies have looked at the association between alcohol intake and adiposity gain in various populations, with follow-up periods ranging from several months to 20 years 4, 30, 31.
Depression, anxiety, and mental health
Alcohol has been reported to account for 16% of adult drinkers’ total energy intake in the United States 68, with men consuming about three times the amount consumed by women 68. Men are also more likely to drink beer, which is carbohydrate rich, and provides more energy than wine per standard drink 5. Overall, obesity is a multi-factorial condition and it is difficult to truly assess the independent influence of alcohol intake on obesity risk. The slow development of obesity and multi-faceted nature of this condition really complicates the possibility to show a cause-and-effect association between alcohol consumption and weight gain.
Public Health
- Understanding state-by-state regulations around BAC is essential, both for legal reasons and to know when you’ve had too much to drink.
- In addition, certain individuals, particularly older adults, who are planning to drive a vehicle or operate machinery—or who are participating in activities that require skill, coordination, and alertness—should avoid alcohol completely.
- Current CDC guidelines of no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks for men are likely to disappoint those who think any drinking is terrible and those who think moderate drinking improves longevity.
- Certain health problems — like depression or anxiety, sleep problems, and chronic pain — can put you at a higher risk for alcohol use disorder.
This information on drinking in moderation was adapted from materials from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get free or low-cost help for alcohol misuse. Find a health center near you and ask about alcohol misuse screening and counseling. Talk with a doctor or nurse if you’re having a hard time cutting back on your drinking.
Excessive drinking — averaging three or more drinks a day — causes multiple health problems, including heart problems.
The social how to drink moderately and psychological benefits of alcohol can’t be ignored. A drink before a meal can improve digestion or offer a soothing respite at the end of a stressful day; the occasional drink with friends can be a social tonic. These physical and social effects may also contribute to health and well-being. In the United States, a standard alcoholic drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol. In the United Kingdom, a standard alcoholic drink is significantly smaller—8 grams. In much of Europe, the standard is somewhere in the middle (typically 10 g or 12 g).
Harvard Health Publishing
Alcohol can also influence hunger via several central mechanisms. The effects of alcohol on opioid, serotonergic, and GABAergic pathways in the brain all suggest the potential to increase appetite 62–65. Given the complexity of the interplay between central and peripheral signals of satiety, more research needs to be performed in order to elucidate the precise biochemical mechanism driving food intake following alcohol consumption. A summary of the effects of alcohol on important appetite hormones and central neurological pathways in humans can be found in Table 2. Knowing what counts as a heavy drinking day—4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more for men—can be clinically useful in two ways.
Calissendorf et al. 58 found that alcohol did not increase plasma levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY); however, animal models have shown that central NPY levels are increased following alcohol consumption 62. As with cross-sectional studies, the way by which alcohol intake is measured and categorized likely influences the interpretation of the results. Several studies have grouped all levels of individual alcohol intake above 30g/day as ‘heavy’ drinkers 12, 38. Conversely, other studies examined alcohol intake more thoroughly, considering frequency and amount per drinking day separately 15.
How To Drink In Moderation
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach increases the rate of absorption, resulting in higher blood alcohol level, compared to drinking on a full stomach. In either case, however, alcohol is still absorbed into the bloodstream at a much faster rate than it is metabolized. Thus, the blood alcohol concentration builds when a person has additional drinks before prior drinks are metabolized. Heavy drinking thresholds for women are lower because after consumption, alcohol distributes itself evenly in body water, and pound for pound, women have proportionally less water in their bodies than men do.
Women versus men
Results of these studies have been varied and do not provide a clear picture. Several studies have found no association or a negative association between alcohol intake and changes in weight, BMI or other measures of adiposity 12, 30, 32–39. Other studies have found such an association only in women, while finding a positive association between obesity risk and alcohol intake in men 40. This study, however, did not specify the amount of alcohol intake, and did not control for participant’s physical activity (PA) levels 40.