Weight gain

Whether alcohol makes you gain weight depends on your lifestyle; what you eat, drink and how much you exercise. Alcoholic drinks are high in carbohydrates (7 calories per gram alcohol). Alcoholic beverages and mixed drinks often also contain high amounts of sugar. Additional, alcohol cannot be stored in the body and is quickly burned for energy. This suppresses the burning of other energy sources, especially fat. The fat that remains is stored, mostly around the abdominal area.

Small amounts of alcohol can increase your appetite (by stimulating the stomach). In contrast, larger amounts of alcohol may make you feel full, but do not contribute to a healthy diet as alcohol provides a lot of calories and hardly any important nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals.