Fighting the Effects of the Demon Alcohol

One of the stereotypes of an alcoholic is that of an overweight individual. There are two main reasons for this The first is that people who spend a lot of their time drinking tend not to be physically active. They sit comfortably at home on a couch with bottles to hand, or lounge in a bar. Wherever they sit, the diet is also likely to be convenience based with is usually high in carbohydrates. The second reason is that alcohol itself has a direct "fat-building" effect.

There is an encouraging article in the April edition of Cell Metabolism. Researchers have been conducting a series of animal studies into alcoholic fatty liver. Up to now, the only "guaranteed" form of treatment for this condition in humans is to persuade the patient to make significant lifestyle changes. Alcohol can be highly addictive to some individuals and, once physical and psychological dependence is established, it can be almost impossible to break the habit of drinking. Yet, without this change in lifestyle, there is nothing to prevent the onset of full liver disease and a painful death.

The researchers have been feeding alcoholic mice a diet including acomplia. The effects have been a significant reduction in the fatty deposits even though the consumption of alcohol remained steady. It is therefore possible that the use of acomplia to treat alcoholic fatty liver may save lives while doctors and social workers persuade human alcoholics to reduce their consumption, change their diets and begin to exercise more.