Alcohol can sometimes lead to overeating in covert ways. Whether it’s the way alcohol lowers inhibitions, the social pressure to drink, or how it intensifies cravings for certain foods, alcohol can weave itself into our relationship with food in complex ways.
According to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition, alcohol can cause you to eat more, even when you’re not particularly hungry.[1] This article explores the connection between alcohol and overeating, providing insights and practical strategies to help you approach food and drink with balance and mindful caution.
The Connection Between Alcohol and Overeating
Many people believe that alcohol makes you hungrier and therefore leads to overeating. However, a 2022 study in Addiction Biology actually shows that alcohol lowers levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone.[2]
While alcohol may not directly increase hunger, it still plays a key role in overeating by altering how we perceive cravings. You might be familiar with the term “drunchies,” a slang word that blends “drunk” and “munchies,” which describes cravings for something salty or greasy after a few drinks. This happens because alcohol makes hyperpalatable foods—those high in fat, salt, and sugar—even more tempting.
A randomized controlled trial found that hyperpalatable foods become harder to resist after drinking, leading to increased consumption.[3] Another study found that the more you drink, the stronger these cravings can become.[4]
Additionally, alcohol impairs our ability to exercise self-control, a phenomenon known as disinhibition. According to a study published in Biological Psychiatry, alcohol reduces brain activity in the right fronto-temporal cortex, which is essential for controlling impulses.[5] This impairment makes it harder to stop and think before acting, leading to more impulsive decisions and less control over eating.
The evidence is clear: alcohol can easily lead to overeating. To truly understand the connection between alcohol and overeating, let’s dive into the psychological and social factors that shape this behavior beneath the surface and reinforce the cycle.
The Psychology Behind Alcohol and Overeating
Alcohol doesn’t just lower inhibitions; it can also amplify emotions, making us more likely to turn to food for comfort or as a coping mechanism. Many people find themselves in a cycle where they drink to relieve stress, only to overeat afterward because alcohol diminishes self-control. This can create a pattern where alcohol and overeating feed into each other, exacerbating feelings of guilt or frustration.
For those who practice restrained eating—intentional food limitations such as calorie counting, limiting junk food, or dieting—alcohol can act as a significant psychological trigger for overeating. When you’re trying to control your food intake, alcohol can make both food and drink more tempting through reverse psychology. The mental focus on avoiding certain foods or calories can heighten once alcohol enters the picture, making it even harder to resist indulgence.
Here’s what it might look like for someone who struggles with overeating: after a few drinks, the mind starts to rebel against the strict rules that have been set. The thought of being “forbidden” from enjoying certain foods makes them all the more desirable.
According to a review published in Current Obesity Reports, dieters and restrained eaters often drink more and report greater binge drinking than unrestrained eaters, which can lead to increased food intake due to disinhibition.[6] This is where the paradox of restraint comes into play.
The more you try to limit your intake of food and alcohol, the more likely you are to overconsume both once your defenses are lowered.
Restrained eaters are particularly prone to overeating when their diets are disrupted or when they are exposed to tempting food cues, leading to a loss of control.[7] This restrict-binge cycle is a common pitfall, where the initial attempts at control backfire, leading to increased consumption and a sense of losing control.
Binge Eating and Drinking
Binge eating and binge drinking share a complex, bidirectional relationship where each behavior can trigger the other. Binge eating, marked by excessive food consumption, can lead to binge drinking as a way to cope with guilt or distress. Conversely, binge drinking lowers inhibitions, making it easier to fall into binge eating.
A review in Current Pharmaceutical Design highlights that these behaviors are particularly common among adolescents and young adults and significantly impact health and quality of life.[8] These individual behaviors are often amplified by social contexts, where the combination of peer pressure and environmental factors can make it even harder to maintain control.
Social and Environmental Factors That Encourage Both Eating and Drinking
Social drinking is common, but it can come with subtle pressure to overconsume both alcohol and food. In social settings, alcohol can lower inhibitions and influence decision-making, making it easier to indulge. According to a study published in Neuropsychopharmacology, moderate doses of alcohol can significantly affect decision-making in social situations, promoting impulsive choices and making it harder to resist social cues that encourage overeating and drinking.[9]
These pressures are particularly heightened during holidays and special events, where heavy drinking and overeating are often the norm. A study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that alcohol consumption peaks during events like Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with significantly higher drinking levels compared to regular weekends.[10] This event-specific drinking often pairs with increased food consumption, making it difficult to listen to your body and honor its cues.
How to Manage Alcohol-Related Overeating
Managing alcohol-related overeating can be challenging, especially in social settings where both food and drink are abundant and encouraged. By understanding how to navigate these situations and recognizing when to seek help, you can find balance and avoid falling into the cycle of overconsumption.
Here are some strategies for managing overeating and overdrinking:
1. Know Your Limits
Pay close attention to how your body responds to both food and alcohol. Everyone’s tolerance is different, so it’s crucial to stay mindful of how much you’re consuming and how it affects you.
According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women, when alcohol is consumed.”
Focus on how much control you feel when drinking, as a loss of control over the ability to drink moderately is a characteristic of Alcohol Use Disorder, a serious condition that may require professional support.[11]
If alcohol consumption is impacting your relationships, physical and mental health, or the ability to fulfill role obligations, it’s time to seek help. The National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse is a great resource.
2. Manage Social Overeating and Overdrinking
Social settings often come with subtle pressures to overindulge, whether it’s with food, alcohol, or both. Be aware of peer pressure—if you notice that you tend to overeat and overdrink in specific social situations, such as after work with colleagues or with certain friends, it’s important to be extra mindful when engaging in activities that revolve around food and drink.
Practice saying no by preparing polite refusals or setting personal limits on what and how much you’ll consume before attending events. If someone gets upset because you won’t eat or drink with them, that’s their problem, not yours—and it might be worth re-evaluating the value of that relationship.
If you feel pressured or uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to remove yourself from the situation. Additionally, identify your values—remember that you don’t have to eat or drink just to make others feel comfortable. It’s not worth compromising your health to appease others.
3. Pay Attention to Rigidity and Balance
One way to manage social drinking is to plan activities that don’t revolve around food or alcohol, such as outdoor adventures, games, or creative projects. However, for those who struggle with compulsive eating, it’s essential to strike a balance, as becoming too rigid can lead to feelings of restraint or deprivation, which may trigger the restrict-binge cycle.
Do you remember the study from Current Obesity Reports that found dieters and restrained eaters drank more alcohol than unrestrained eaters?[6] Always pay attention to how self-imposed rules affect your feelings and behavior around food and drink.
Ask yourself: Does avoiding alcohol-inclusive social settings make you feel deprived, and does that increase the likelihood of binge drinking during later occasions when you are around alcohol? Finding a middle ground while honoring personal limits is key to maintaining a healthy relationship with both food and alcohol.
Finding Balance with Food and Drink
As you can see, the link between alcohol and overeating is multifaceted. For some people, even moderate drinking is enough to lower inhibitions and increase cravings for hyperpalatable foods. For others, social situations can increase the pressure to drink.
By understanding the unique influences in your life, you can work towards a more balanced and mindful relationship with both food and alcohol—one that honors your well-being and personal limits.
If you’re looking for more support on your journey to stop overeating, I offer plenty more resources to help you get started. Check out my free ebook and email course below. They apply psychological and even spiritual insights on the path to stopping compulsive eating.
