Drinking alcohol in small amounts regularly could mean you are less likely to become obese than if you do not drink at all, new research suggests.
The US study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, may appear to contradict the traditional image of the beer belly often found attached to those who like a drink or two.
But the researchers said the results did not mean teetotallers should turn to the bottle in the battle of the bulge.
Dr Armed Arif, of Texas Tech University, and Professor James Rohrer, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, analysed the results of a health and nutrition survey, focusing on 8,236 non-smokers who took part.
The respondents were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their drinking habits, while their body mass index was also measured.
The survey found that 46% of the group were current drinkers who drank at least one drink a month on average, while those who drank four or more drinks a day were classified as heavy drinkers.
The researchers found current drinkers were 27% less likely to be obese compared to non-drinkers. They said that those who drank one or two drinks regularly, but less than five drinks a week, were significantly less likely to be obese compared to non-drinkers and heavy drinkers.
But heavy drinkers were 46% more likely to be obese compared to those who drank nothing at all.
Dr Arif and Prof Rohrer said: The odds of overweight and obesity were significantly higher among those who indulged in binge drinking and/or heavy drinking - consuming four or more drinks per day.
In contrast, light to moderate drinking - consuming one or two drinks per day - was associated with lower odds of overweight and obesity.
美国最新公布的一项研究显示，与一贯滴酒不沾的人相比，那些平时少量饮酒者身体发胖的可能性要更低一些。
据《每日邮报》12月5日报道，进行这项研究的是两名美国学者，他们分别是来自得克萨斯理工大学的阿梅德 middot;阿里夫博士以及来自明尼苏达州罗切斯特市梅奥诊所的詹姆斯·罗勒尔教授。这两人对8236名不吸烟者参与的健康与营养调查所采集的数据进行了研究，他们发现，46%的参与者平均每个月至少要喝1杯酒，这些人与严格禁酒者相比，成为胖子的可能性要低73%。阿里夫博士和罗勒尔教授表示，少量饮酒者身体发胖的概率要明显低于从不喝酒者或重度饮酒者。此外，重度饮酒者的身体进入肥胖状态的可能性要比滴酒不沾者高46%。
人们一向将大腹便便与每天喝上几口联系起来，但该项研究的结论或许会对这种传统观念提出异议。阿里夫博士和罗勒尔教授共同表示：“对于那些整天纵酒狂欢或是重度饮酒的人来说(每天饮酒量不少于4杯)，他们的体重超标或是成为肥胖者的几率要比其他人高。相比之下，那些轻度或中度饮酒者(每天只喝一二杯酒)成为胖子的可能性就变得很小了。”当然这两位研究者也表示，这项研究结论并不意味着那些不饮酒的人应当放弃原有习惯，转而成为贪杯者。