Alcohol is capable of causing weight gain. Lending our voice to studies conducted by several health bodies and platforms, our study has also discovered that people’s BMI (Body Mass Index) can be impacted by the consumption of alcoholic substances.
However, the amount of alcohol that people drink also matters. Moderate drinking most likely wouldn’t result in weight gain. Conversely, heavy drinkers are at increased risk of having to deal with excessive weight gain (obesity). So, it will help if such drinkers who hope or plan to lose weight can stay free from or drastically reduce their intake of alcoholic drinks. This is a drastic but important lifestyle change that is needed by these individuals every day.
Besides weight loss reasons, this is also important for healthy living. This IST Health weight loss article will shed light on the reasons heavy drinkers are likely to have weight gain issues and other related subjects in passing. So, read on to stay informed.
Summary
How Does Alcohol Contribute to Weight Gain?
Excess alcohol intake does contribute to weight gain because alcohol is:
An Appetite Stimulant
We did come across a study by a health association on how alcohol is an appetite stimulant. This finding is based on research proving that alcohol can make people eat more food than they normally would. Impulsive snacking is also not far-fetched amongst heavy drinkers. The excess intake of calories gotten as a result will lead to weight gain or obesity.
Addictive
Surprisingly or not, a good number of those who drink alcohol drink excessively. This is because alcohol is addictive. Many of them end up needing to lose weight because of their weight gain issues (including beer belly).
Loaded with Calories
Alcohol contains what is termed empty calories. This is because of its lack of nutritional benefits other than its load of calories. The fact that it is calorie-loaded even as it contains sugar means that it can cause weight gain issues. It also has a sufficient amount of calories to break a fasted state.
Capable of Disrupting the Normal Process of Fat Distribution
Excess intake of calories from drinking too much alcohol is not the only worry that heavy drinkers have to deal with. Besides this, it is also that the excess fat generated as a result is distributed abnormally.
While it is more common for heavy drinkers (especially men) to have beer bellies, chest fat is also a possibility. For women, this means having more busts than some of them would like. For men, it is more troubling as the chest would look like boobs. This is one of the effects of high alcohol consumption. This is because it disrupts estrogen levels in the body.
Leads to Positive Energy Balance State
As it pertains to metabolism, the easy absorption of alcohol before the liver converts it into energy makes it possible for alcohol to cause weight gain. However, the type of alcohol also matters. For example, studies have revealed how red wine can help in losing body fat.
Thanks to its Resveratrol ingredient, red wine does this by increasing the amount of brown fat. For this reason, red wine is a better alcoholic drink than beer and spirits for weight loss purposes and even other health reasons.
Reasons Your Should Drink Moderately
Asides from how alcohol can affect Body Mass Index, some of the other reasons you should drink moderately include the following:
For Quality Sleep
The normal sleep cycle required for healthy living can be adversely affected by alcohol. This affects the quality of sleep.
Liver Damage
Alcohol is bad news for the cells in the liver. Over time, excessive drinking will adversely affect the liver’s ability to carry out its cell regeneration.
Accelerates Aging Process
Everyone eventually ages (all things being equal). However, drinking more alcohol than you should can make it happen faster than it should.
It Adversely Affects Learning and Memory Retention
This is one of the complicated effects excessive alcohol intake can have on the brain. So, if you must drink, be moderate about it.
Host of Health Troubles
Hypertension, stroke, digestive troubles, heart disease, and liver disease are just to mention but a few. So, avoid drinking alcohol excessively.
Other posts in the weight loss section of this website can be read to keep you well-informed. For example, you can find out if your feet get smaller as you lose weight.