Based on sex assigned at birth if a man and a woman who weigh the same

Subject : Health

Question: Based on sex assigned at birth, if a man and a woman who weigh the same consume the same amount of alcohol:

A) The man’s BAC will likely be higher

B) The woman’s BAC will likely be higher

C) Their BAC levels would be the same

D) None of the above

Expert Verified Solution:

The correct answer is:

B) The woman’s BAC will likely be higher

Explanation:

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) can vary between individuals based on several factors, including sex assigned at birth. On average, women tend to have a higher BAC than men when consuming the same amount of alcohol, given the same body weight and alcohol consumption. This is due to several physiological differences:

Body Water Content: Women generally have a higher proportion of body fat and a lower proportion of body water compared to men. Since alcohol is water-soluble, a higher body water content helps dilute alcohol, leading to lower BAC levels in men.

Enzyme Activity: Women may have lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for metabolizing alcohol in the stomach, which can result in more alcohol entering the bloodstream.

Therefore, under similar conditions, a woman is likely to have a higher BAC than a man of the same weight who consumes the same amount of alcohol.