Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Why does alcohol make you fat?

Ever wonder why alcohol makes you fat?
Picture by health-net.ca

Everyone ponders that question but never truly knows the correct answer. I have always heard many myths about alcohol linked to weight gain but never really believed if they were factual. Recently I stumbled upon an article that grabbed my attention and also answered a lot of my questions and concerns. Boosts in cortisol, enabling bad eating habits and high calories are the three main issues related to alcohol consumption that the article states.

When you are drinking alcohol you are boosting your cortisol levels which are a high fat creating hormone which allows your metabolism to slow down as well as block your body from burning fat up to 73 %. When you are in taking such beverages your body becomes more hydrated and therefore it is shutting down your body’s ability to access fat stores for energy.

Another reason alcohol increases weight gain is because drinking accompanies irresponsible eating. Drinking often puts one in a relaxed party mood, it is easier to indulge in snacks, potato chips and other unhealthy party foods -- the more one drinks the less one seems to care. This article also states that since alcohol releases dopamine, the pleasure and addiction hormone, the result is the desire for more food and more drinks. We have all experienced a late night indulgence after a night of partying and if you think about it, it was most likely not something healthy.
Picture by Ryan Jaslow

Lastly, alcohol is extremely high in calories. Even if you stick to the light drinks such as vodka waters and vodka sodas, you are still consuming more calories than you normally should. Not only is alcohol high in calories but also contains very little nutritional value. With the calories in alcohol and the food you are eating while drinking makes for double the needed calories and if you are doing that often it can lead to extreme weight gain. Simply put, alcohol consumption on a regular basis and weight loss don’t mix.



Article:

http://www.naturalnews.com/035319_alcohol_body_fat_calories.html

1 comment:

  1. Hey Angie,

    Really good post! I have also pondered about how drinking can make you fat and it was cool to read some facts. I am definitely guilty of the late night after bar slice of pizza and I can totally see how that can have negative affects! It was interesting to see how much alcohol really slows down your bodies fat burning ability up to 73% is a huge number! I will definitely be thinking about this article next time I want a cocktail

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