Cross sectional studies of alcohol consumption and body weight in non-clinical populations consistently report inverse relationships between quantity of alcohol consumed and body mass index (BMI) among women (Colditz et al., 1991; Hellerstedt, Jeffery, & Murray, 1990; Liu, Serdula, Williamson, Mokdad, & Byers, 1994; Wannamethee, Field, Colditz, & Rimm, 2004). Findings for men are inconsistent, with most recent studies indicating a positive association (Colditz et al., 1991; Prentice, 1995; Schroder et al., 2007; Wannamethee & Shaper, 2003; Wannamethee, Shaper, & Whincup, 2005), but some studies showing no relationship (Hellerstedt et al., 1990). Epidemiologic research on associations between body weight and drinking patterns reveals the lowest BMI among individuals who drink frequently but consume small quantities of alcohol each time they drink (i.e., one drink per day every day) and this relationship was stronger for women than men. Individuals who consume alcohol at low frequencies but in large quantities on each occasion (e.g., occasional binge drinkers) have the highest average BMI (Breslow & Smothers, 2005).
