If losing weight is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, you might want to think about putting down the bottle and stepping away from the booze.

Researchers say that more people would be able to shed those extra pounds that they put on during the holidays if they would simply start limiting how much food they eat and how much alcohol they consume.

In fact, studies have shown that not cutting back on alcohol consumption is the leading reason why people fail to lose weight. Researchers say that understanding how many calories are in alcoholic beverages is key to keeping your diet on track.

"The calories in alcoholic drinks account for a significant proportion of a drinker's calorie consumption while providing little, if any, nutritional benefit. Cutting down on drinking can have a big effect on weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight," said lead researcher Kate Mendoza of the World Cancer Research Fund.

Mendoza adds that in addition to alcohol keeping many people from reaching their ideal weight, it also presents significant cancer causing risks.

Studies have shown that nearly 40 percent of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions within two weeks after the ball drops.

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