The relationship between alcohol consumption and
body weight is the subject of inconclusive studies. Findings of these studies range from increase in
body weight to a small
decrease among
women who begin consuming
alcohol.[1][2] Some of these studies are conducted with numerous subjects; one involved nearly 8,000 and another 140,000 subjects.[citation needed]
Findings are inconclusive because
alcohol itself contains seven
calories per
gram, but research suggests that the
body only extracts 70-80 percent of this due to
thermogenesis, thus the
approximate number of
calories that can be utilized is between 5 and 6
calories per gram of
alcohol.
According to Kent Bunting,[citation needed] the research results do not necessarily mean that people who wish to lose weight should continue to consume
alcohol because consumption is known to have an enhancing effect on
appetite. Due to these discrepancies in findings, the relationship between
alcohol and
weight remains unresolved and requires further research.
Certain patterns of
alcohol use may contribute to
obesity. A study found frequent, light drinkers (three to seven drinking days per week, one drink per drinking day) had lower
BMIs than infrequent, but heavier drinkers.[5] Although
calories in
liquids containing
ethanol may fail to trigger the
physiologic mechanism that produces the feeling of fullness in the short term, long-term, frequent drinkers may compensate for
energy derived from
ethanol by
eating less.[6]
^Cordain; et al. (1997). "Influence of moderate daily wine consumption on body weight regulation and metabolism in healthy free-living males". J Am Coll Nutr. 16 (2): 134–9.
doi:
10.1080/07315724.1997.10718663.
PMID9100213.