New York : Want to avoid being obese? Drink a little alcohol a few times a week. But drinking more may make you fat!

Ahmed Arif of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and other researchers analysed about 8,236 non-smoker respondents who had filled a questionnaire about their drinking habits, according to science portal EurekAlert.

The researchers measured their body mass index and found that consuming no more than a drink or two a few times a week reduces the risk of being obese.

The study, published Sunday in open access journal BMC public health, however, warns against consuming four or more drinks per day as it may increases the risk of being obese by 46 percent.

In the study, 46 percent were 'current drinkers' and drank at least one drink a month on average. Individuals who drank four or more drinks per day were classified as heavy drinkers. Obesity was defined as a body mass index equal to or higher than 30.

The results show that current drinkers had 0.73 lower chances of being obese than non-drinkers. Current drinkers who drank one to two glasses regularly, but less than five drinks per week, were significantly less likely to be obese than non-drinkers and heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers were 46 percent more likely to be obese than non-drinkers.

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