Associations of Alcoholic Beverage Consumption with Dietary Intake, Waist Circumference, and Body Mass Index in US Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2012

Abstract

Differences in dietary intake across drinking subgroups and separation of former drinkers from nondrinkers should be considered in studies of alcohol intake in relation to WC and BMI.

Central obesity and beer consumption

“…The smallest WC in the low and moderate range of alcohol consumption identified in our study population was also found by others (Tolstrup et al, 2005). The below cut-off values of WC, even adjusted to the BMI, in men with moderate or excessive consumption might not be a positive finding, but a first sign of malnutrition associated with the onset of alcoholism (Butler et al, 2017, Tolstrup et al, 2005. Overall, our results are corresponding to the U shape relation that was found between alcohol intake, no matter what type (wine, beer or spirits) and metabolic components (Djoussee et al, 2004).…”

“…The influence was not reproduced in the high beer intake group, with lower, although non-significant WC than in the moderate consumption group. Less non-alcoholic energy food consumed by heavy drinkers was found by others (Butler et al, 2017). In line with these divergent results, a recent meta-analysis concluded that there is no scientific data consistently connecting the moderate beer ingestion with obesity, both general and abdominal (Bendsen et al, 2013).…”

“…The number of no-drinkers was very low in our study, most probably because of no cultural or religious beliefs interference with alcohol consumption. In literature, more than four drinks/day (Breslow et al, 2005), five drinks/day in men (Butler et al, 2017) or lifelong average daily consumption of more than 6g/day (Bergman et al, 2011) were associated with an increase in BMI.…”

“…Several factors could influence these findings, from a probably healthier lifestyle in low consumers, to fibbing for people declaring themselves as "non consumers". Alcohol is a beverage with calories and "liquid calories" contribute to long term weight gain, though some compensatory effect might be present (Butler et al, 2017). An attempt of quantitative stratification gave different results, as the criteria for group definition varied from one study to another.…”

Do Associations Between Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorder Vary by Weight Status? Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions‐III

“…There is also limited evidence suggesting that gender modifies the association between weight status and alcohol use (Gearhardt and Corbin, ). For example, among women, the literature consistently suggests that there is an inverse relationship between alcohol use and BMI (Butler et al., ; Gearhardt and Corbin, ; Lahti‐Koski et al., ). However, in men, research has not shown a consistent direction in the relationship between alcohol use and BMI (Butler et al., ; Gearhardt and Corbin, ; Lahti‐Koski et al., ; Lean et al., ).…”