Body Weight and Nutrition Consequences of Alcohol Consumption in Young Adults

Alcohol consumption is described in terms of both quantity and frequency of alcohol use. This article describes present knowledge of alcohol use in young adults, complex factors that influence alcohol use and binge drinking, nutrition and body weight consequences of alcohol use, and interventions that may decrease alcohol use. Young adults have the highest prevalence of infrequent, high-quantity alcohol consumption in any age group, placing them at an increased risk for weight gain, overweight, and obesity. Lifestyle medicine practitioners can have a positive impact by sharing 4 key recommendations about alcohol use: (a) alcohol provides calories but no essential nutrients;(b)if alcohol is consumed, it should be consumed in moderation-up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men;(c) moderate-level alcohol consumption is associated with the lowest risk of obesity (d) moderate-level alcohol consumption, when consumed in a binge-drinking pattern, is not protective against obesity.