Alcoholism Tied to Obesity

Family History of Alcoholism Tied to Obesity

A new study suggests that having a family history of alcoholism may be associated with an increased risk of obesity in women.

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 80,000 people who participated in the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (1991-1992) and National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (2001-2002).

Obesity was defined as having a body mass index of 30 or greater, and a family history of alcoholism was defined as having an immediate relative (parent or sibling) with alcoholism.

The researchers found that women with family histories of alcoholism were 49 percent more likely to be obese than those without family histories. The results remained after adjusting for other factors that may contribute to obesity, such as sociodemographic variables and depression. However, the link was not statistically significant in men after adjusting for covariates.

More research is needed to fully understand this potential relationship.

For more information about alcoholism, please visit Natural Standard's Medical Conditions database.

References

1.Grucza RA, Krueger RF, Racette SB, et al. The emerging link between alcoholism risk and obesity in the United States. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 Dec;67(12):1301-8. View Abstract
2.Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. http://www.naturalstandard.com/

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