Drinking limits should be slashed for overweight people because alcohol causes them greater harm, scientists say.
Public health bosses have been told drinking guidelines should be lowered for the overweight as new research shows they are at three times greater risk of developing alcohol-related cancers.
Data on nearly 400,000 UK adults found even moderate drinkers who consumed booze within UK safe guidelines were at 53% greater risk if they were carrying too much weight.
This compared to a 19% increased cancer risk of drinking within guidelines for those of healthy weight.
Being overweight or obese also made drinkers more likely to develop liver disease, a separate study found.
UK chief medical officers say it is safest for both men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week - equivalent to six pints of beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine.
Dr Elif Inan-Eroglu, who conducted both studies when at the University of Sydney, said those guidelines were too general.
She said: “If you have normal weight or if you have obesity, it doesn’t differ - but it should.
“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 study also found drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week increased the risk of developing cancer by 61% if you are overweight.
This compared to a 37% increased cancer risk of drinking above guidelines for those of healthy weight, compared to healthy weight teetotallers.
The research is presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Maastricht, Netherlands.
Higher drinking allowances for people of a healthy weight could even act as “motivation”, she suggested - “if I eat less, I can drink more”.
The eight alcohol-related cancers considered in the study were oral, throat, larynx, oesophagus, liver, bowel, stomach and breast cancer.
An earlier study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found people who were overweight or obese had an over 50% greater risk of developing liver disease compared to those of normal weight consuming the same level of alcohol.
Inan-Eroglu said: “People with overweight and obesity should consume alcohol cautiously. From a cancer-prevention standpoint, the safest level of alcohol consumption is total avoidance.”
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.
“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.”
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: “Alcohol is responsible for 46 new cancer cases every day in the UK.
“This latest research is yet another reminder of the damage that alcohol can do to our health, and particularly underlines the combined cancer risk of obesity and calorie-rich alcohol.”
