How can alcohol contribute to weight gain? Is it okay if we consume small amounts of alcohol? Alcohol is a part of our lives, some drink less, while some drink too much.
Excessive alcohol consumption can not only be considered a bad habit, weakness, or lack of willpower, but also something more.
Excessive alcohol consumption according to the WHO, alcoholism is a chronic disease.
That is why a series of actions are taken to spread awareness and certain policies are created to prevent the negative effects of alcohol.
Alcoholism is a serious public health problem
The WHO considers alcohol to be a psychoactive substance with addictive properties in a person who drinks too much. But alcoholism is also considered a sociopathological disorder.
That is a disorder that significantly depends on, but also affects social relations. Annually, alcohol directly contributes to the 3 million lives lost.
Alcohol is also likely to cause more serious health and social problems for many millions of people.
These millions include not only the direct victims of alcohol but also their close friends, relatives in many respects.
According to WHO estimates, alcohol is directly responsible for as much as 5% of all diseases that endanger our health.
That is why it is a significant burden for the health system itself.
So, in addition to being a risk for the user, alcohol is also a risk for his loved ones – domestic violence, for the health system (a burden that can be objectively reduced), but also a risk for his environment – drunkenness is a very common cause of traffic accidents.
In addition, more about the potential danger of alcohol abuse. Excessive alcoholism does not necessarily mean addiction – it can affect weight gain.
read more: Why Alcohol Is Bad Idea for Healthy Life
How alcohol affects weight gain
Will drinking alcohol make you gain weight? The answer to this question turns out to be not so simple. There have been several studies linking alcohol to weight gain.
However, there are those who say the opposite and those who do not find any connection.
Researchers from the FARE Foundation (Alcohol Research and Education Foundation) conducted a systematic analysis of studies related to alcohol and obesity and determined the following:
It is not entirely clear whether alcohol consumption is a risk factor for weight gain.
This is primarily due to the contradiction of most research. The potential link between alcohol and weight is greater for men than for women.
Existing data can not lead us to a clear conclusion whether beer consumption leads to obesity.
If there is a link between beer and weight gain, it would be more about belly fat than general body weight. Researchers suggest that it is possible to gain weight from alcohol, but this is not inevitable.
Whether and how much you gain weight due to alcohol depends on several factors, including:
- attitude towards alcohol:
- what do you drink
- how often do you drink
- how much do you drink in terms of quantity?
- what do you eat after drinking?
- Factors related to your body and your lifestyle
- the diet you practice on a daily basis
- genetic factor
- gender and age
- level of physical activity
- general health and individual risk factors for obesity
However, as mentioned earlier, excessive alcohol use has the potential to lead to much more serious health problems.
Alcohol is to blame for heart disease, elevated triglycerides, liver disease, and even malignancy.
Pregnant women should not consume alcohol at all.
Because there are no “safe” levels of alcohol during pregnancy.
How can alcohol contribute to weight gain?
Although the link between alcohol and obesity remains unclear, experts say there is good reason to believe that alcohol can greatly contribute to weight gain.
Alcohol has the potential to increase weight for the following reasons:
- interferes with the body’s ability to burn fat
- has a high caloric value
- leads to an increased feeling of hunger and reduces the feeling of a full stomach (satiety)
- encourages the selection of unhealthy, fast food with a high taste intensity
Conclusion
Alcohol is addictive, but so much more. Excessive alcohol consumption only leads to health problems, and problems in the circle of family, friends, and the like.
As for the connection between alcohol and obesity, opinions are already divided.
They are mostly divided due to the fact that when alcohol is combined with other unhealthy habits, it leads to obesity.
Weight gain depends on what kind of alcohol you drink, how much, genetic factors, physical activity, junk food, and other factors.
Finally, it is best not to drink alcohol at all, which will make you healthier and with a much lower chance of developing various health problems.
read more: Alcohol Calories, Is Alcohol Bad for Weight?
