Alcohol quantity increases body weight, however, alcohol frequency decreases body weight

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Friday, July 02, 2010 8:19 am Email this article
The more alcohol a person consumes, the heavier they tend to be, however, the more frequently a person consumes alcohol, the leaner they tend to be according to a study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Small quantities more often associated with lower weight, while larger quantities less frequently associated with higher weight

People who consumed one drink per day, 3 to 7 days per week were the leanest, while those who consume 4 or more drinks, but only 1 to 11 days per year were the heaviest.

Increasing from 1 to 4 or more drinks per day

As the number of drinks consumed each day increased from one drink to four or more, body mass index (BMI) increased in men from an average of 26.5 to 27.5, while in women, BMI increased from 25.1 to 25.9.

This is a difference of about 7 pounds for a man of average height, and 4.4 pounds for a woman of average height.

Quantity for MEN

Below is the average BMI for men according to the number of drinks per day.

• 1 drink per day, average BMI of 26.5
• 2 drinks per day, average BMI of 26.8
• 3 drinks per day, average BMI of 27.1
• 4 or more drinks per day, average BMI of 27.5

Quantity for WOMEN

Below is the average BMI for wmen according to the number of drinks per day.

• 1 drink per day, average BMI of 25.1
• 2 drinks per day, average BMI of 25.5
• 3 drinks per day, average BMI of 25.9
• 4 or more drinks per day, average BMI of 25.9

Increasing number of days per year that alcohol was consumed: 8 lbs difference for men, 10 lbs for women

However, as the number of days per year that a person consumed alcohol, the average BMI in men decreased from an average of 27.4 to 26.3, and in women, from 26.2 to 24.3.

This is a difference of about 7.7 pounds for a man of average height, and 10.4 pounds for a woman of average height.

Frequency for MEN

Below is the average BMI for men according to the number of days a man consumed alcohol each year.

• 1-11 days per year, average BMI of 27.4
• 1-3 days per month, average BMI of 27.0
• 1 day per week, average BMI of 26.8
• 2 days per week, average BMI of 26.7
• 3-7 days per week, average BMI of 26.3

Frequency for WOMEN

Below is the average BMI for women according to the number of days a man consumed alcohol each year.

• 1-11 days per year, average BMI of 26.2
• 1-3 days per month, average BMI of 26.1
• 1 day per week, average BMI of 25.5
• 2 days per week, average BMI of 24.8
• 3-7 days per week, average BMI of 24.3

One drink per day, 3-7 days per week associated with lowest body weight

People who consumed only one drink per day, 3 to 7 days per week had the lowest body weight.

The more days per week, month or year that people drank, the lower their body weight tended to be. This was true for both men and women, although the difference was greater in women.

Here is a table showing how BMI decreases in both men and women when the number of days that alcohol is consumed increases.

This trend was similar in people who consumed 2 drinks per day and 3 or more drinks per day.

Frequency of alcohol consumption	Men’s BMI	Women’s BMI
1 drink per day, 1-11 times per year	27.1	26.3
1 drink per day, 1-3 times per month	26.8	26.0
1 drink per day, 1 day per week	26.6	25.6
1 drink per day, 2 days per week	26.5	24.8
1 drink per day, 3-7 days per week	26.0	24.1

Drinking, non-smokers weight less than non-drinkers: BMI 26.1 vs 26.4, or about 2 pounds

The average BMI of people who were current drinkers, but had never smoked, was 26.1 compared to 26.4 for people who were non-drinkers and had never smoked.

This is a difference of roughly 1.6 pounds for a woman of average height, and 2.1 pounds for a man of average height.

Subjects: 45,896 adults who drink alcohol, but never smoked

The study analyzed the weight of 45,896 adults who currently drank alcohol, but never smoked.

Height and weight were self-reported.

REFERENCE

Conclusion

“In all respondents combined [men and women], persons who consumed the smallest quantity the most frequently were leanest, and those who consumed the greatest quantity the least frequently were heaviest,” the authors concluded.

“Alcohol may contribute to excess body weight among certain drinkers.”

Breslow R, Smothers B. Drinking patterns and body mass index in never smokers: national health interview survey, 1997-2001. Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Feb 15, 161(4):368-76.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

R. Breslow
Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Bethesda, MD

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