The real reasons alcohol makes you put on weight

January 9, 2026 admin admin 0 Comments

Together, these hormonal shifts create an environment where weight gain becomes more likely with regular excessive whiskey intake. Many people enjoy whiskey neat or on the rocks, but mixed drinks with whiskey often add sugar and other calorie sources. For example, whiskey sour or whiskey with cola can significantly increase the calorie count due to added sugars. Here’s how Sarah, a mother of two, went from rock bottom to rock solid after drinking wine every night. “I’d have a glass to relax,” she says, “but that became a bottle. I ballooned round the waist, and was knackered all the time.” One morning, looking at her own puffy reflection, she snapped.

Reduce your stress levels

will liquor make you fat

Imagine a faulty thermostat in winter – it keeps demanding heat despite the room being warm. Similarly, alcohol-induced leptin resistance keeps your brain crying “feed me!” long after your body’s energy needs are met. “Beer belly,” also referred to as “alcohol belly,” is the abdominal weight gain that directly correlates with frequent drinking. Genetics, low physical activity levels, and aging also play important parts in developing a beer belly.

Alcohol Affects the Body’s Fat-Burning Capability

This is why imbibers become more loquacious and uninhibited as a party wears on. Non-drinkers are quick to notice that conversation becomes louder and more boisterous within a short time. As the alcohol dose increases, judgment increasingly goes out the window. Excess alcohol consumption can lead to what is known as alcoholic fatty liver. A 2020 review of 62 studies found that increasing soluble fiber intake may reduce body weight does alcohol make you gain weight and waist circumference, even without intentionally cutting calories. Because it lacks nutritional value beyond calories, relying heavily on whiskey for energy is detrimental for overall health and weight management goals.

will liquor make you fat

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Because of their phytoestrogen content, it has been suggested that the hops in beer might cause hormonal changes in men that increase the risk of storing belly fat. This means that drinking beer regularly could contribute a significant number of calories to your diet. It’s been suggested https://ecosoberhouse.com/ that beer drinking may increase belly fat in a number of ways. It’s important to note that beers with a higher alcohol content also contain more calories.

Health Conditions

will liquor make you fat

When you have healthy habits, stay active, and reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods, fat loss tends to follow as a natural side effect. Research suggests that consuming high amounts of fruit juice could contribute to weight gain due to the excessive amount of calories that it provides rather than the fructose that it contains. It’s important to realize that more than refined sugar can lead to belly fat gain. Even natural sugars, such as real honey, should be used in moderation. In observational and animal studies, these fats have been linked to inflammation, heart disease, insulin resistance, and abdominal fat gain.

Unlike carbohydrate and fat, alcohol can’t be stored, and your body wants to get rid of it. Enzymes in your liver convert alcohol into a number of different substances, which allow your body to break it down and eliminate it. Here’s a closer look at the science on alcohol and weight loss, and what it all means for you. alcoholism treatment Drinking alcohol in moderation may help you control your urges to eat and keep you in the right mind to make better food choices.

  • When we consume excess calories on a regular basis, it can lead to weight gain.
  • Drinking two glasses of wine, five nights a week for ten weeks, had no effect on body weight or fat percentage in a group of sedentary, overweight women.
  • In contrast, older adults (ages 50+) may experience a more pronounced increase in appetite due to age-related changes in metabolism and hormone production.
  • For example, if you want a glass of wine with dinner, go for a half-glass rather than filling it to the brim.

About Medical News Today

As a result, the metabolism of other energy sources, like fats and carbohydrates, is temporarily paused. This is important to note, since low levels of testosterone may increase your risk of weight gain, especially around the belly (30, 31, 32, 33). This risk of weight gain may be even higher in people who are already overweight compared to normal-weight people who drink beer (18). For example, people who drink moderate amounts of beer may also have healthier lifestyles than those who consume larger amounts (7).

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