Drinking alcohol has a significant impact on your body. But how does alcohol affect the body? Previously we have outlined the health risks of alcoholism. We discussed the decreased motor skills in the short-term and long-term affects like liver and heart disease. But how does alcohol affect your body and overall health?
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Among the major detriments alcohol has to the body is that it adds significant calories to your daily total. A regular 5-ounce glass of wine has 150 calories, while a 12-oz beer or 1.5 oz shot of vodka has 100 calories. These totals add up, especially for an alcoholic. If you were to drink six beverages a day (which is not uncommon for alcoholics) you’re adding nearly a third of your daily-recommended calories through alcohol. A pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so you can see how the calories add up quickly.
In addition to adding calories directly, alcohol can add calories through food consumption. Alcohol interferes with satiety, which leads individuals to eating more than they normally would. In fact, people eat 20% more calories when they drink alcohol with a meal than they normally would without. Therefore, alcohol can conceivably add 50% of your normal dietary caloric intake in a single day.
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These increased calories are more dangerous than the vanity issues a beer belly pose. Health issues related to obesity cross over with alcoholism. Alcoholism and obesity can increase your risk for diseases like:
– Gallstones
– Sleep Apnea
– High Cholesterol
– High blood pressure & Stroke
– Type 2 Diabetes
Drinking alcohol, even at a casual level, affects your body and your health. We often associate chronic drinking with liver disease, like cirrhosis, but that is just one ailment that is a result of drinking alcohol. We need to consider preventative health care when we assess how alcohol affects our bodies.
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Roughly 31% of American adults are obese. This isn’t just an alcohol issue, but alcohol consumption does tie into this statistic. It’s one reason why Prominence Treatment Center believes that nutrition and exercise is an important element to our alcohol rehab. We teach you how to live a healthy, alcohol-free lifestyle.
Whether you’re an alcoholic or not, please take these health considerations into account when drinking alcohol. If you’re are an alcoholic or believe someone you know is an alcoholic, please contact one of our specialists to help discuss alcohol rehab treatment options.