Calls for crackdown on booze with new stricter limits to tackle obesity epidemic

DRINKING limits should be slashed for fat adults, experts warn.

Medics claim booze is significantly more harmful for those who are overweight or obese.

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Brits are currently advised to consume no more than 14 units of alcohol a week – roughly six pints of beer or standard glasses of wine.

And pregnant women or those trying for a baby are told to avoid drinking altogether.

Now researchers want new stricter guidance for fat adults too.

Excess flab “amplifies” the chances of developing alcohol-related cancers, according to a study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Maastricht.

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It shows drinkers sticking to the 14 unit guidelines had an almost three times higher risk if they were obese rather than a healthy weight.

And a separate study shows tubby boozers were more likely to develop liver disease.

Two in three adults in the UK are overweight or obese.

Speaking at the world’s leading obesity conference, researcher Dr Elif Inan-Eroglu from Sydney University, called for lower booze limits for fat adults.

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She said: “Alcohol drinking guidelines should also consider the obesity levels of people.

“People with obesity, especially those with excess body fat, need to be more aware of the risks around alcohol consumption.”

The analysis of nearly 400,000 mostly middle-aged Brits looked at how many developed cancer over a 12-year period.

The team then divided participants into three groups, according to their levels of body fat.

When it came to alcohol-related cancers, they found those with greatest amount of lard were at much higher risk.

Drinking within the 14 unit guidelines raised their chances by 53 per cent. While for Brits with a healthy weight, the impact of moderate boozing was only a 19 per cent greater risk.

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Dr Inan-Eroglu said the UK’s alcohol guidance need updating in light of her findings.

She said: “If you have normal weight or if you have obesity, it doesn’t differ - but it should.”

And added higher drinking allowances could even act as “motivation” for fat Brits to slim down.

The eight alcohol-related cancers considered in the study were oral, throat, larynx, oesophagus, liver, bowel, stomach and female breast cancers.

Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: “This research will be bad news if you're fat and have a hangover this morning - but it should teach you a lesson.

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“Since, mistakenly, manufacturers are not required to put calorie counts on the bottle of your favourite tipples, many people are oblivious to the quantity of calories they are consuming and leading to cancer.

“Put simply, avoid binge drinking like the plague. You'll be much healthier for it."