The deadly duo
Did you know that obesity increases the toxicity of alcohol and together they dramatically increase liver disease?
According to an estimate, people who consume too much alcohol have good chance of making it to the Obesity chart. Pure alcohol contains 7 calories per gram.
Cirrhosis of the liver and deaths from cirrhosis are increasing rapidly in both men and women. Although alcohol consumption has increased over the past 10 years, cirrhosis has increased even faster.
According to the the Million Women Study done in 1.3 million middle aged women in the UK, the risk of cirrhosis in these women is 28% higher for every 5-unit increase in BMI and that almost 20% of liver cirrhosis is attributable to excess body weight. This compares with an estimated 42% attributable to alcohol.
Also, it was found that risk to liver disease increases as BMI increases, but mainly in those with higher alcohol consumption. Same is true for men as well. Normal or underweight men who drink at least 15 units per week have a 216% higher risk of dying from liver disease than nondrinkers of the same size. Those who are overweight have a 600% increased risk and being obese causes a whopping 1800% increase.
The relation of obesity & alcohol
Many a times the primary reason behind obesity is over eating. And if that is complimented with excessive drinking, it won’t take much time before you find yourself in a severe life threatening problem of obesity.
Obesity causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcohol causes alcoholic fatty liver disease. Alcoholic fatty liver also causes peripheral insulin resistance and therefore promotes obesity and diabetes. This may be mediated through the appetite enhancing effect of alcohol, and/or the failure to compensate for the extra energy obtained from alcohol by decreasing other food intake. The synergistic combination of obesity and high alcohol consumption is so strong it is called a supra-additive interaction.
High calorie intake and low energy burning add wounds to the already overweight body and the more obese you become more difficult it gets to contain it. Excessive calories in alcohol make you unhealthy. When you take in more alcohol you also tend to over indulge in your eating routine. It has been discovered that one drink a day is good for your whole system where as overdoing your drinking habit will land you in deep health trouble. Drinking one peg a day will reduce the health risk of insulin and glucose related diseases such as diabetes in postmenstrual women.
Tips to avoid or break the deadly combination
• Avoid or reduce alcohol intake
• Break your binging habits and prepare a health diet which you are comfortable with
• Once you join the list of obese people, it gets difficult to come out of it. So take early precautions and keep watching your weight
• Count your calories if needed
• Be ready to walk a little, swim or at least lead an active life
• Even when you are on diet pills, you can’t reduce weight without following a good food pattern
• Remember, if you are on a weight losing program, excess alcohol in your body will restrain you from losing weight
• Don’t keep alcohol bottles in places where you can see. If you see it every now and then, your urge to drink increases
• Value your life more. Being an alcoholic and becoming obese is not the only way to enjoy life
All in all, alcohol consumption is much more damaging in overweight/obese people and is hugely contributing to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, cirrhosis and liver cancer. Alcohol restriction, therefore, needs to be a priority for them.