'Drunchies' could be the reason why you're putting on loads of weight
| Aug 15, 2018, 08:00 IST
We bet you know how hungry one can get after drinking, right? It's even normal to crave unhealthy and salty foods after drinking. Well, that's exactly what 'Drunchies' means. It is the desire to eat salty, unhealthy foods after a night of heavy drinking that could be contributing to the obesity epidemic among college students, scientists say.
Researchers from University at Buffalo in the US decided to look at a sample of 286 college students to better understand how drinking affects what they eat. They looked into what the students ate on the night they drank and the next day when they were hungover. "Given the obesity epidemic and the rates of alcohol consumption on college campuses, we need to be aware of not only the negative effect of alcohol consumption but also the impact it has on what people are eating while they are drinking," said Jessica Kruger, an assistant professor at the University at Buffalo. "Research on the effects of drinking and diet is scarce," Kruger said, adding that "eating more unhealthy foods following alcohol consumption is an often overlooked behaviour in traditional addiction research." An average beer contains 150 calories. And adding a pizza or two is simply a recipe for weight gain. The researchers found that alcohol drinkers were more likely to eat something before they went to bed after drinking alcohol than in general before they go to bed. Specifically, they were more likely to opt for salty snack foods and pizzas. Healthy foods, such as dark green vegetables and other veggies which they would ordinarily eat, were not as appealing.
Favoured foods happen to be pizzas, tacos and foods that typically help "soak up" the excess alcohol.
Researchers from University at Buffalo in the US decided to look at a sample of 286 college students to better understand how drinking affects what they eat. They looked into what the students ate on the night they drank and the next day when they were hungover. "Given the obesity epidemic and the rates of alcohol consumption on college campuses, we need to be aware of not only the negative effect of alcohol consumption but also the impact it has on what people are eating while they are drinking," said Jessica Kruger, an assistant professor at the University at Buffalo. "Research on the effects of drinking and diet is scarce," Kruger said, adding that "eating more unhealthy foods following alcohol consumption is an often overlooked behaviour in traditional addiction research." An average beer contains 150 calories. And adding a pizza or two is simply a recipe for weight gain. The researchers found that alcohol drinkers were more likely to eat something before they went to bed after drinking alcohol than in general before they go to bed. Specifically, they were more likely to opt for salty snack foods and pizzas. Healthy foods, such as dark green vegetables and other veggies which they would ordinarily eat, were not as appealing.
Favoured foods happen to be pizzas, tacos and foods that typically help "soak up" the excess alcohol.
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