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Men tend to take on an extra 433 calories, 61% comes from the alcohol consumed. For women it is about 300 calories, but for women according to the study, this was not statistically significant. The real point is that men and women ate healthier on days that they did not drink alcohol.
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Another study showed an all together different trend. Moderate drinkers gain less weight over time than people that are heavy drinkers or abstain from drinking all together. This is particularly apparent for women who only drink one or two drinks a day. "People who gain the least weight are moderate drinkers, regardless of beverage choice" according to Dr. Erik Rimm, an associate professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard Medical School. He continued to say that "starting to drink is not a weight loss diet".
Alcohol is a real "wild card" when you are talking about weight control according to Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientific officer of Weight Watchers International. Several studies have verified that moderate drinkers waist lines stay the most stable over a long period of time versus heavy drinkers and abstainers.
Dr. Rimm also said it really wasn't clear why moderate drinkers seemed to be protected from long term weight gain, but he felt that it had something to do with metabolic adjustments. He noted that after people drink, their heart rate increases, burning slightly more calories.
Depending on which study you believe there seems to be more tha a pure physical reasons for alcohol and weight gain or loss. There seems to be a psychological side to it as well. I find it very interesting how different people studying the same data and are able to come up with results that are so different.
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