The Word on Weightloss

It has been ingrained in our minds that alcohol consumption spells weight gain and that counting calories is always part of proven weight loss programs. For the most part, this is true. When you are counting calories, alcohol‚ no matter in what form‚ is not only loaded with sugar and calories, but is often consumed in excessive amounts. However, some surprising new research has brought some interesting facts to light.

The National Center for Health Statistics recently conducted a study that found that individuals that consumed just one alcoholic beverage daily had the lowest body mass index. So what is body mass index? It is the relationship between your height and your weight which, when calculated, determines whether or not you are obese. The ideal BMI for men or women is between 18.5 and 24.9.

Although it is difficult to understand, consuming alcohol on a regular basis appears to have a positive impact on your body mass index. On the other hand, when alcohol is consumed in large quantities at irregular intervals, severe weight gain is the result. It appears that if you must consume alcohol, you should do so frequently, but in small quantities, though you’d be hard pressed to find proven weight loss programs that advocate drinking.

It gets even more peculiar. Women have been found to be less likely to become obese when they consume more than a single glass of wine every day. In fact, women are 70 percent less likely to become obese. This is in direct contrast with women who consume a single glass of an alcoholic beverage other than wine, and thus become 30 percent more likely to become overweight. These findings, gathered from a study of over 19,000 U.S. women with regular body mass indexes, are extremely surprising but are strangely in line with a similar study published in 1991. Are women able to quit counting calories and just have a couple of glasses of wine instead? Will we see proven weight loss programs for women that include drinking wine?

It doesn’t stop there. CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) has launched a movement to inform people that they should drink beer if they want to lose weight. Their reasoning is a bit odd, however and keep in mind that not only do they represent a European brewing industry, their campaign also depends upon responsible drinking, which can be asking quite a bit from their demographic. CAMRA argues that since the calories are less concentrated in beer, that beer‚ if consumed in a responsible manner, as opposed to wine or other alcoholic beverages, is better for you when it comes to counting calories. It’s up to you if you buy into this particular take on weight loss. After all, one of the main reasons for obesity is due to a lack of, not abundance of, self-control and I’ve never heard of a proven weight loss program that encourages drinking beer.

There are many ways to lose weight. Drinking is an alternative method that ranks among the most interesting, and definitely one of the most controversial. Red wine has been touted to be good for your heart and even for your digestive health, so there might be some benefit to having a glass or two of red wine each day, unless of course you are pregnant or are on medication with which you should not be drinking. Beer, on the other hand, is inherently laden with calories, not to mention tied to many medical problems and I would question the motives of an organization such as CAMRA.

As with any weight loss plan, consult your physician or another medical expert for advice before making any radical changes to your diet. Your doctor will probably recommend some proven weight loss programs that include counting calories and adding physical activity, along with healthy lifestyle changes that can easily become a permanent part of your life. If you ask nicely, he or she may give you permission to have a glass of red wine each day, but it is doubtful that a doctor will encourage drinking in his or her patients.