Why does drinking make you gain weight?
In recent years, with the improvement of health awareness, more and more people have begun to pay attention to the relationship between drinking and weight gain. Although alcoholic drinks are rich in taste, they are hidden "calorie bombs". This article will combine the hot topics and content of the past 10 days to analyze the reasons why drinking alcohol makes you gain weight from a scientific perspective, and provide structured data for reference.
1. Alcohol has high calories and high metabolic priority
Alcohol is second only to fat, with 7 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and protein only contain 4 calories per gram. More importantly, the body metabolizes alcohol preferentially, causing other calories (such as fat and sugar in food) to be stored as fat.
| Beverage type | Calories (per 100ml) | How much rice is equivalent to (100g) |
|---|---|---|
| beer | 43 kcal | 0.4 bowl |
| red wine | 85 kcal | 0.8 bowl |
| Liquor | 300 kcal | 2.8 bowls |
2. Alcohol stimulates appetite and increases additional intake
Alcohol suppresses the brain's satiety signals and stimulates gastric acid secretion, making people more likely to overeat after drinking. Recent social media discussions show that more than 60% of netizens said that "after drinking alcohol, they will want to eat high-salt and high-fat late-night snacks."
| Common high-calorie foods after drinking alcohol | Average calories (per serving) |
|---|---|
| BBQ | 500-800 kcal |
| fried chicken | 400-600 kcal |
| potato chips | 300-500 kcal |
3. Alcohol interferes with fat metabolism
The liver is the main organ for fat metabolism, but after drinking alcohol, the liver will prioritize the decomposition of alcohol, leading to fat accumulation. A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition pointed out that drinking alcohol for three consecutive days can increase fat synthesis efficiency by 30%.
| Drinking frequency | Probability of waist circumference increase (within 1 year) |
|---|---|
| 1 time a week | 15% |
| 3 times a week | 42% |
| daily drinking | 67% |
4. The additive effect of sugary drinks
Sugary alcoholic beverages such as cocktails and premixes are higher in calories. Take the recently popular drink "Peach Flavored Pre-mixed Wine" as an example. A single can (330ml) contains 20g of sugar, which is equivalent to directly ingesting 5 sugar cubes.
| Popular sugary alcoholic drinks | Sugar (per serving) | Calories (per serving) |
|---|---|---|
| Mojito | 18g | 220 kcal |
| Long Island Iced Tea | 28g | 320 kcal |
| Fruity beer | 15g | 180 kcal |
5. How to reduce the risk of obesity caused by alcohol?
1.Control the amount you drink: No more than 2 standard cups (about 20g of alcohol) per day for men and no more than 1 cup for women.
2.Choose low-calorie drinks: Such as dry wine, sugar-free soda water blended wine.
3.Avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach: Consume protein foods (such as eggs, nuts) first to delay alcohol absorption.
4.Increase motion compensation: Drinking 1 glass of red wine requires 40 minutes of brisk walking to burn calories.
To sum up, the high-calorie characteristics of alcohol itself, its interference with metabolism and the induced eating behaviors together constitute the physiological mechanism of "drinking makes people gain weight". The key to balancing social interaction and health lies in scientific understanding and moderate control.
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