It is fairly well known that indulging in copious amounts of alcohol can lead to a number of health problems physically and mentally. Alcohol can act as a toxin on the body and destroy most of the organs in the human body. Most people don’t think about the fact that alcoholism can lead to obesity too and obesity leads to even more health problems for someone with a drinking problem.

What is obesity?

Obesity is used to describe someone who has accumulated enough body fat for it to become a problem to their health. People who have a body mass index or BMI of more than 30 would be considered obese. It is important to remember that being overweight and obesity are different. To be overweight means that a person is just heavier than expected which could be due to extra muscle; when someone is obese it means they specifically have too much body fat.

What are the dangers of being obese?

• Obesity is preventable and yet it still causes many deaths today. The dangers of obesity include:
• Obesity puts pressure on the skeleton and can lead to chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis.
• Individuals who are obese are more likely to have heart problems.
• Obesity increases the chances of developing type two diabetes.
• Obesity can cause many people to suffer from sleep apnea.
• Obesity can cause people to become more likely to develop certain cancers such as breast and colon cancer.

So what obesity and alcoholism?

Alcoholic beverages are usually filled with tons of calories that carry no nutritional value to a person’s body. If someone is consuming a few drinks per week on top of what they are normally eating it can quickly cause them to become overweight and then obese. Another problem with drinking is that the calories in alcoholic beverages don’t help with hunger in fact they can make you more hungry, so a lot of the times someone who has been drinking will then eat a large meal adding on even more calories. Also someone who drinks more than normal doesn’t engage in as many healthy activities while doing so which can lead to obesity.

Obesity and alcoholism

Alcoholism can easily lead to obesity. Someone suffering from alcoholism could consume an extra 1000 to 3000 calories per day on top of their diet. Not only that, but someone with alcoholism is not exactly engaged in physical activity very often. People with alcoholism quite frequently suffer from malnutrition also. This is because they are getting plenty of calories through their drinks but they aren’t getting the right nutrients their body needs to stay healthy. Obesity and alcoholism perpetuate a negative cycle of more drinking. Obesity is used to justify alcoholism and those who are obese usually suffer from low self-esteem which can lead to symptoms of depression, causing someone who is an alcoholic to want to drink more due to the comfort it provides. This comfort is short lived because it just adds on the misery.

Obesity and alcoholism can continue to fuel a negative cycle of negative behaviors or they can be used to change a person’s lifestyle. Both alcoholism and obesity can be treated. No one has to continue to suffer the mental, physical and emotional consequences of obesity and alcoholism.

Source: http://alcoholism.about.com/od/health/a/blniaaa050222.htm

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