Drink wine, stay skinny...

If you started out that way.

Only Jenise Stone will remember, because she has a genius memory, that I asseverated at least twice before on this forum that wine doesn’t put any weight on people. A study at Woman’s Hospital in Boston over 13 years showed that the more wine a woman (anyway) drinks the thinner she will be. The article, in the Sunday Times of London, said that one theory is that in drinkers, the liver develops a separate metabolic path for alcohol, with surplus energy turned mainly into heat, not fat.

Have you read the study Covert? I haven't but based only on the Times reporting, it's really hard to draw any hard and fast conclusions. The data are observational, not experimental--which introduces causal confounds galore (a la, what if women who face a higher likelihood to become obese decide not to drink? then women who do drink will end up being less obese, but it has nothing to do with the alcohol). Also limited to women of 'healthy body weight' in the study and dependent on self-reporting--the reliability of which as an instrument might be questionable when it comes to alcohol consumption (but I don't work in that field, so I don't know).

I'm not familiar with the established body of research in this area, but a quick glance would make me think it quite foolhardy to abandon the existing dietary advice based on other research based on this single study which faces huge problems of its own.

Have you read the study Covert? I haven't but based only on the Times reporting, it's really hard to draw any hard and fast conclusions. The data are observational, not experimental--which introduces causal confounds galore (a la, what if women who face a higher likelihood to become obese decide not to drink? then women who do drink will end up being less obese, but it has nothing to do with the alcohol). Also limited to women of 'healthy body weight' in the study and dependent on self-reporting--the reliability of which as an instrument might be questionable when it comes to alcohol consumption (but I don't work in that field, so I don't know).

I'm not familiar with the established body of research in this area, but a quick glance would make me think it quite foolhardy to abandon the existing dietary advice based on other research based on this single study which faces huge problems of its own.

Keith,

I happen to be in the clinical trial research industry, so I know what you are talking about. You should of course follow your own judgment, or attempt to get at the primary data. I don't personally care who tones back their wine consumption to lose weight, as long as I don't; so I won't argue the point; just toss it out there (secondarily to Victor) for anybody who potentially is wasting his or her time and potential for pleasure chasing a red herring.

I mentioned that I have commented on this at least twice before, because I have read at least three reportings of studies which form the same conclusion. I really don't care if even they are all incorrect, because I have never felt that I gained an ounce from wine, so I can drink all I want, regardless; liver and CNS issues notwithstanding. On vacations I drink a lot of wine, and it makes no difference to my svelte physique.

If you research it further, maybe you can post what you find.

Best,

Covert

[James Roscoe]

Covert, let me add another piece of anecdotal evidence to youre equation. I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which means I have been watching my sugar numbers and frantically trying to lose weight. I have given up a lot of my vices but not wine. I have seen my blood sugar bounce all over the place in conjunction with different foods, but my wine intake (or overindulgence even at times) never seems to effect my blood sugar. I have lost a good 25lbs (a mere deck chair off the Queen Mary in my case) but the wine consumption seems to have no bearing on the weight loss or gain, at least not yet.

Covert, let me add another piece of anecdotal evidence to youre equation. I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which means I have been watching my sugar numbers and frantically trying to lose weight. I have given up a lot of my vices but not wine. I have seen my blood sugar bounce all over the place in conjunction with different foods, but my wine intake (or overindulgence even at times) never seems to effect my blood sugar. I have lost a good 25lbs (a mere deck chair off the Queen Mary in my case) but the wine consumption seems to have no bearing on the weight loss or gain, at least not yet.

James, glad to hear that you are making at least a dent. Has your doctor suggested that if you bring the weight way down, you might no longer be symptomatic? And I am glad that you are not afraid of wine. What a shame to give it up for no reason.

Best of luck in the battle.

Covert

Covert, let me add another piece of anecdotal evidence to youre equation. I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which means I have been watching my sugar numbers and frantically trying to lose weight. I have given up a lot of my vices but not wine. I have seen my blood sugar bounce all over the place in conjunction with different foods, but my wine intake (or overindulgence even at times) never seems to effect my blood sugar. I have lost a good 25lbs (a mere deck chair off the Queen Mary in my case) but the wine consumption seems to have no bearing on the weight loss or gain, at least not yet.

Hey, James, good luck with your new challenge.

With good diet control and reasonable/sensible eating---or just paying attention to what you eat regularly---you should be able to keep the weight off and keep the blood sugars under control---perhaps with conscious management alone, perhaps with some oral meds.

That's the way I was for years. When I stopped watching and paying close attention, things started escalating again. It is sometimes manageable though, for a long, long time. Even if you eventually go to Byetta or insulin, it's not really that big a thing.

And in the scheme of things, wine is a relatively benign indulgence with great returns in the sensory enjoyment sphere.

There are many variables to be accounted for before coming to causitive conclusions. For example, are there comparable studies of women who drink beer or booze? Have the stats been corrected for lifestyle associations between wine dirnking and healthy diet and exercise?

I suspect that once these factors are taken into account, it will be shown that women who have healthy lifestyles and attitudes tend to drink more wine than those that do not, and not the other way around.

Covert, let me add another piece of anecdotal evidence to youre equation. I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which means I have been watching my sugar numbers and frantically trying to lose weight. I have given up a lot of my vices but not wine. I have seen my blood sugar bounce all over the place in conjunction with different foods, but my wine intake (or overindulgence even at times) never seems to effect my blood sugar. I have lost a good 25lbs (a mere deck chair off the Queen Mary in my case) but the wine consumption seems to have no bearing on the weight loss or gain, at least not yet.

Hi James,

Glad to hear you are making some progress. I second Hoke's comments that constant diligence is needed to really contol your diabetes. I know my brother has it too, and he keeps very close tabs on his food intake and sugar levels. Good luck and keep on trying.