REPORTED ALCOHOL INTAKE, DIET AND BODY-MASS INDEX IN MALE SMOKERS

Objective: The study was carried out to determine associations of repo rted alcohol intake with diet and body mass index. Type and frequency of consumed alcohol were also considered. Design: A cross-sectional st udy. Setting: The baseline examination of the participants of the Alph a-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study in 1985-1988. Subj ects: 27 215 middle-aged Finnish male smokers. Interventions: The diet was assessed by a self-administered food use questionnaire: Subject's habitual diet and alcohol intake over the previous 12 months were ask ed. Body mass index was used as the measure of adiposity. Results: Ene rgy intake from food was not related to alcohol intake. Although alcoh ol consumption was associated with food selection (eg berry and coffee consumption), this only slightly influenced daily nutrient intakes. I ntake of spirits was more consistently related to higher body mass ind ex than that of other alcoholic beverages. Daily alcohol intake had a much smaller association with body mass index than less frequent use, independently of the total consumption. Conclusions: The differences i n nutrient intake between abstainers, light and moderate alcohol consu mers were small although the consumption of many foods varied with alc ohol consumption. Even if alcohol consumption is one noteworthy factor associated with weight, the energy from alcohol increases body weight less than expected; both the type and frequency of consumed alcohol m ay explain why energy from alcohol is utilized less efficiently than n onalcoholic energy.