Fed: Alcohol can help you lose weight - study
By Judy Skatssoon, National Medical Writer
SYDNEY, Aug 3 AAP - For years dieters have been told that alcohol is one of the firstthings they should cut out if they want to lose weight.
But new research by a Melbourne team has turned that advice on its head, after findingthat having up to four drinks a day for men and two for women may actually help melt thekilos away.
John Dixon, a senior research fellow at Monash University and the Alfred Hospital,and colleagues based their findings on observations of severely obese patients who underwentbariatric, or weight-loss, surgery.
Dr Dixon said histories of the patients' alcohol consumption before and after surgeryconfirmed previous evidence that light to moderate alcohol consumption had beneficialeffects on cholesterol levels.
But the team also found something that has only begun to emerge from literature overthe past eight or nine years - moderate drinkers appeared to have a reduced risk of developingtype 2, or adult onset diabetes.
This was probably related to the effect alcohol had on improving insulin sensitivity,which appeared to aid weight loss as well as protect against diabetes, he said.
"Most weight-loss programs have found diabetics have problems losing weight," Dr Dixon told AAP.
"After surgery, those who were drinking small amounts of alcohol were losing weight."
The report, to be published in the journal Australian Family Physician, advises doctorsthat they should no longer tell obese patients who are trying to lose weight to give uphaving a glass or two of wine with dinner if they are moderate drinkers.
He said wine had a relatively low calorie content and tended to be burned immediatelyrather than being stored as fat.
The problem with drinking and weight gain was mainly because of associated snackingor "disinhibition" leading to over-eating, Dr Dixon said.
"In a weight-loss program it's not something we should do to tell people to stop havinga glass of wine with their evening meal," he said.
"In fact, it might be counterproductive, and telling someone who is obese to stop drinkingmay be putting them at substantive risk of developing diabetes or cardiovascular problems."
However, Dr Dixon the results should not be interpreted as meaning that teetotallersshould try drinking to become slim.
"We're not advising that people take up alcohol consumption in order to lose weight," he said.
"What doctors should be doing is taking a careful alcohol history and giving good practicaladvice."
AAP jjs/lb/pw
KEYWORD: ALCOHOL
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