A new study has found that people who drink small amounts of alcohol regularly are less likely to be obese than people who do not drink at all.

According to the study, consuming a drink or two a few times a week reduces the risk of being obese, but four or more drinks per day increase the risk of being obese by 46 percent.

The mechanisms of the protective effect of alcohol on obesity are not well understood and the authors emphasise that “the data give no evidence to advise non-drinkers to start drinking alcohol just for reducing body weight.”