K-Herald

1 in 2 Heavy Drinkers Is Obese

by 조선편집국 posted Oct 26, 2016

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People who drink frequently and heavily are much more likely to be obese, according to a study.

Prof. Chun Sung-soo at Samyook University studied 5,934 adults based on a 2012 public health survey and found that 45.3 percent of people who drank more than 10 shots of soju in one sitting were obese. And 35.5 percent of those who drank more than four times a week were overweight.

The rate of obesity was lowest at 27.9 percent among people who drank just one or two shots of soju in one sitting. It increased to 28.1 percent for three to four shots, 33.1 percent for five and six shots and 37.9 percent for seven to nine shots.

The greater the frequency of drinking, the higher the rate of obesity. Among people who drank less than once a month, 24.1 percent were obese, but that rose to 31.1 percent for those who drank two to four times a week and reached 35.5 percent among those who drank more than four times a week.

"Excessive drinking not only causes heart disease, but also leads to obesity," Chun said. "As alcohol is broken down in the liver, the body produces acetaldehyde which prevents the breakdown of fat."

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine said replacing 25 percent of the energy the body requires daily with alcohol resulted in a 24 to 39 percent decline in fat oxidation in the body.