Why overweight people should be extra cautious with alcohol

While the hazards of alcohol consumption have been proven time and again by scientists, it seems like one group of people may be at an even higher health risk!

Researchers from the University of Sydney have found that people who are overweight or obese are at a much greater risk of liver damage from alcohol.

The study of nearly half a million people revealed that ‘even for people who drank within the alcohol guidelines, participants classified as obese were at over 50 per cent greater risk of liver disease.’ 

Not surprisingly, people who drank above UK alcohol guidelines had a nearly 600 per cent higher risk of being diagnosed with alcoholic fatty liver disease and a 700 per cent higher risk of death by alcoholic fatty liver disease, compared to within guideline drinkers. 

Publishing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers used UK’s 14 units per week as the guiding limit for alcohol consumption. For your information, NHS defines a standard glass of red or white wine as 2.3 units while a pint of stronger beer accounts for 3 alcohol units.