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Alcohol intake in relation to body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio: the importance of type of alcoholic beverage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Esther Lukasiewicz ,
Louise I Mennen ,
Sandrine Bertrais ,
Nathalie Arnault ,
Paul Preziosi ,
Pilar Galan  and
Serge Hercberg
Esther Lukasiewicz
Affiliation:
UMR INSERM Unit 557/INRA Unit 1125, Institut Scientifique et Technique de la Nutrition et de l'Alimentation, ISTNA/CNAM, 5 rue du Vertbois, F-75003 Paris, France
Louise I Mennen*
Affiliation:
UMR INSERM Unit 557/INRA Unit 1125, Institut Scientifique et Technique de la Nutrition et de l'Alimentation, ISTNA/CNAM, 5 rue du Vertbois, F-75003 Paris, France Unité de Surveillance et d'Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle, INVS–CNAM, Paris, France
Sandrine Bertrais
Affiliation:
UMR INSERM Unit 557/INRA Unit 1125, Institut Scientifique et Technique de la Nutrition et de l'Alimentation, ISTNA/CNAM, 5 rue du Vertbois, F-75003 Paris, France
Nathalie Arnault
Affiliation:
UMR INSERM Unit 557/INRA Unit 1125, Institut Scientifique et Technique de la Nutrition et de l'Alimentation, ISTNA/CNAM, 5 rue du Vertbois, F-75003 Paris, France
Paul Preziosi
Affiliation:
UMR INSERM Unit 557/INRA Unit 1125, Institut Scientifique et Technique de la Nutrition et de l'Alimentation, ISTNA/CNAM, 5 rue du Vertbois, F-75003 Paris, France
Pilar Galan
Affiliation:
UMR INSERM Unit 557/INRA Unit 1125, Institut Scientifique et Technique de la Nutrition et de l'Alimentation, ISTNA/CNAM, 5 rue du Vertbois, F-75003 Paris, France
Serge Hercberg
Affiliation:
UMR INSERM Unit 557/INRA Unit 1125, Institut Scientifique et Technique de la Nutrition et de l'Alimentation, ISTNA/CNAM, 5 rue du Vertbois, F-75003 Paris, France Unité de Surveillance et d'Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle, INVS–CNAM, Paris, France
*
*Corresponding author: Email s_mennen@vcnam.cnam.fr
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Abstract

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Objective

Alcohol consumption may play a role in the development of obesity but the relationship between alcohol and weight is still unclear. The aim of our study was to assess the cross-sectional association of intakes of total alcohol and of specific alcoholic beverages (wine, beer and spirits) with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) in a large sample of adults from all over France.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Participants were free-living healthy volunteers of the SU.VI.MAX study (an intervention study on the effects of antioxidant supplementation on chronic diseases).

Subjects

For 1481 women aged 35–60 years and 1210 men aged 45–60 years, intakes of total alcohol and specific alcoholic beverages were assessed by six 24-hour dietary records. BMI and WHR were measured during a clinical examination the year after.

Results

A J-shaped relationship was found between total alcohol consumption and WHR in both sexes and between total alcohol consumption and BMI in men only (P < 0.05). The same relationships were observed with wine (P < 0.05); men and women consuming less than 100 g day−1 had a lower BMI (men only) and WHR than non-drinkers or those consuming more. Spirits consumption was positively associated with BMI (linear regression coefficient β = 0.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09–0.34 and β = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06–0.39 for men and women, respectively) and WHR (β = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.001–0.005 and β = 0.003, 95%CI: 0.0002–0.006) in both sexes in a linear fashion. No relationship between beer consumption and BMI or WHR was found.

Conclusion

If confirmed in longitudinal studies, our results indicate that consumption of alcoholic beverages may be a risk factor for obesity.

Keywords

AlcoholBody mass indexWaist-to-hip ratioEpidemiologyWineBeerSpirits

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , May 2005 , pp. 315 - 320
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2005

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