▁not ▁efficiently ▁used . ▁Al co hol ▁also ▁appears ▁to ▁increase ▁met abol ic ▁rate ▁significantly , ▁thus ▁causing ▁more ▁cal ories ▁to ▁be ▁burn ed ▁rather ▁than ▁stored ▁in ▁the ▁body ▁as ▁fat ▁( K les ges ▁et ▁al ., ▁ 1 9 9 4 ). ▁Other ▁research ▁has ▁found ▁consumption ▁of ▁sugar ▁to ▁decrease ▁as ▁consumption ▁of ▁alco hol ▁increases . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Dr . ▁Kent ▁Bun ting , ▁the ▁research ▁results ▁do ▁not ▁necessarily ▁mean ▁that ▁people ▁who ▁wish ▁to ▁lose ▁weight ▁should ▁continue ▁to ▁consume ▁alco hol ▁because ▁consumption ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁en han cing ▁effect ▁on ▁app et ite . ▁Due ▁to ▁these ▁dis cre pan cies ▁in ▁find ings , ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁alco hol ▁and ▁weight ▁remains ▁un resol ved ▁and ▁requires ▁further ▁research . ▁ ▁Bi ological ▁and ▁environmental ▁factors ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁contribute ▁to ▁alco hol ism ▁and ▁ob es ity . ▁The ▁phys i olog ic ▁common al ities ▁between ▁excess ive ▁e ating ▁and ▁excess ive ▁alco hol ▁drink ing ▁shed ▁light ▁on ▁inter vention ▁strateg ies , ▁such ▁as ▁ph arma ce ut ical ▁comp ounds ▁that ▁may ▁help ▁those ▁who ▁suffer ▁from ▁both . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁brain ▁signal ing ▁prote ins ▁that ▁medi ate ▁excess ive ▁e ating ▁and ▁weight ▁gain ▁also ▁medi ate ▁un control led ▁alco hol ▁consumption . ▁Some ▁phys i ological ▁substr ates ▁that ▁under lie ▁food ▁int ake ▁and ▁alco hol ▁int ake ▁have ▁been ▁identified . ▁Mel an oc ort