How does body weight influence the effects of alcohol?

• A. Body weight has no effect on BAC.
• B. Lighter people have more body water and dilute alcohol.
• C. Heavier people have more body water, diluting alcohol, leading to lower BAC for the same amount.
• D. Weight alone does not affect how alcohol feels.

Answer: (C)

When alcohol enters the body, it distributes in body water. The more body water there is, the more the alcohol is diluted, so the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) becomes lower for the same amount of alcohol. Heavier people typically have more total body water, which means the same amount of drinking yields a lower BAC compared with lighter people. This dilution explains why weight influences how alcohol feels. Of course, other factors like metabolism, how fast you drink, and whether you've eaten also affect effects, but the key idea is that more body water in heavier individuals dilutes alcohol more, leading to a lower BAC for the same intake.