Epidemiologic research examining risk for alcohol use disorders yields ambiguous results. Obesity has been associated with decreased risk of current alcohol use disorders (John et al., 2003), with similar findings for men and women. However, a study based on surveys carried out in thirteen countries found lower likelihood of alcohol use disorders among obese respondents in the United States but not in the other twelve countries or the sample as a whole (Scott et al., 2007). Pickering, Grant, Chou, & Compton (2007) found comparable risk for past-year alcohol abuse and dependence among normal weight, overweight, obese, and extremely obese individuals of both genders.
