Keep lit: how to lose weight without giving up alcohol | Dean Burnett

At the start of the new year, many people are vowing to get in shape, which usually involves giving up alcohol. But can you lose weight without losing the booze? Science says yes, but it's not exactly easy

Alcohol. Fun, isn't it, for various reasons. The Christmas holidays are a period of particularly heavy drinking for many of the UK population, so much so that January often feels like one long national hangover. This often combines with the sense of "starting afresh" and the ritual of New Year's Resolutions and results in a period of abstention. In recent years, it's become fashionable to swear off alcohol for the whole of January, often (but not always) as part of an overall effort to improve general fitness and lose weight.

But, is this necessary? Or is it possible to have your pint and down it, and lose weight while carrying on indulging in the booze?