Is There a Link between Different Types of Alcoholic Drinks and Obesity? An Analysis of 280,183 UK Biobank Participants

Elif Inan-Eroglu, Lauren Powell, Mark Hamer, Gary O'Donovan, Mitch J. Duncan and Emmanuel Stamatakis
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Elif Inan-Eroglu: The Boden Collaboration for Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2050, Australia
Lauren Powell: Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2050, Australia
Mark Hamer: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Gary O'Donovan: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 57, Colombia
Mitch J. Duncan: School of Medicine & Public Health; Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia
Emmanuel Stamatakis: Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2050, Australia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-18

Abstract: Understanding the associations between types of alcoholic drinks and adiposity has public health relevance, considering that adult overweight and obesity prevalence are increasing worldwide. We aimed to evaluate the association between overall alcohol consumption and types of alcohol drinks with markers of adiposity from the UK Biobank baseline data ( n = 280,183, 48.3% female). Generalized linear models were used to examine the associations between alcohol consumption with body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage. Those drinking within the public health guidelines had a lower BMI by 1.34 kg/m 2 (95% CI 1.42, 1.26 kg/m 2 ) compared to never drinkers. Association between alcohol consumption and body fat percentage were not statistically significant. Compared to those who never drink wines (red wine, champagne and fortified wine), drinkers of these alcoholic beverages had lower BMI (difference of −0.75 kg/m 2 , 95% CI −0.78, −0.72 kg/m 2 ; −0.48 kg/m 2 , 95% CI −0.52, −0.45 kg/m 2 ; and −0.24 kg/m 2 , 95% CI −0.29, −0.18 kg/m 2 , respectively). Beer and spirits drinkers had higher BMI compared to never drinkers of beer and spirits (difference of 0.18 kg/m 2 , 95% CI 0.14, 0.22 kg/m 2 and 0.64 kg/m 2 , 95% CI 0.61, 0.68 kg/m 2 , respectively). Our data did not find a link between alcohol drinking and higher risk of obesity.

Keywords: obesity; adiposity; alcohol; alcoholic drinks; adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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