ABSTRACT
Introduction: At present, 2.3 billion people are consuming alcohol worldwide. It is one of the most widely used substances, second only to tobacco. About 20–30% of all hospital admissions in India are due to alcohol-related problems. One gram of alcohol gives 7 kcal of energy. Energy consumed by alcohol comprises as much as 10% of average daily dietary intake. Most of the recent studies show that heavy drinking is associated with decreased body mass index (BMI). This study was planned as Indian literature in this area is sparse.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the association of alcohol dependence with dietary intake and BMI.Materials and Methods: Sixty male patients admitted in the Department of Psychiatry, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome (ICD-10) were included in the study. Twenty-four-hour diet chart was collected and BMI calculated. Statistical analysis was done using non-parametric tests.Results: The mean age of the patient population was 41.53 years. Majority of them had completed primary education (47%), mostly engaged in skilled work (48%), and were self-employed (48%). Dietary proteins, fats, and total energy were deficient in 50, 42, and 57 patients, respectively. The majority of patients had normal BMI (42%), while some were underweight (28%), overweight (18%), pre-obese (7%), and obese (5%). Results show that despite the majority of patients having a deficient macronutrient intake, BMI was normal.Conclusions: It is possible that a normal BMI was maintained in the study population despite being malnourished due to calorific contribution by alcohol.