Want to keep your calories under control this season? Then drink a little less holiday cheer.
Researchers have long debated the contribution of alcoholic drinks to unwanted weight gain. But growing evidence points to alcohol's role as a contributor to extra pounds, particularly those that are added at the waistline.
One reason is that alcohol packs seven calories per gram. To put that number in perspective, alcohol's calories are just a little short of the nine calories found in a gram of fat and nearly twice that in a gram of protein or carbohydrate.
Add eggnog and other fat-filled or sugary mixers and the calories can quickly reach 500 a drink.
Large population studies of alcohol's effect on weight have been mixed. But "every component of the [body's] energy-balance equation is affected by the ingestion of alcohol," as noted by Paolo Suter, a researcher at Zurich's University Hospital, in a recent paper.
Even moderate drinking boosts calories, both from the alcohol and from "its appetite-enhancing effects," Suter notes. More recent research shows that drinking alcohol suppresses fat burning, leading to greater storage of calories as fat, which as Suter notes, "is preferentially deposited in the abdominal area."
When Suter combined the experimental evidence with results from large population studies, he concluded that alcohol's calories count more toward weight gain in moderate drinkers who don't imbibe daily.
He also reports that alcohol's calories likely "count more in combination with a high-fat diet and in overweight and obese subjects."
In other words, too much alcohol could be the perfect recipe for unwanted pounds this holiday season. But that doesn't mean you have to be a teetotaler. As the holiday party season moves into overdrive, here are some tips to help you maintain your weight even if you drink:
* Snack before the party. Not only will this help slow absorption of alcohol, but you will be less likely to eat everything on the holiday buffet. Aim for snacks that are about 100 to 250 calories each.
A few possibilities: an ounce of nuts -- roughly a handful -- or a glass of skim milk with half a sandwich made with whole wheat bread and about one tablespoon of peanut butter.
* Skip cocktails before the meal. Better to sip a nonalcoholic beverage or have something hot, such as coffee, tea or low-fat cocoa. These beverages will help you feel full and perhaps less awkward when standing without a drink in hand. Plus, researchers have recently found that cocoa has more antioxidants than red wine.
