BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Researchers have determined that excessive alcohol consumption and obesity act together to increase the risk of liver disease.

Two studies done in England found that the risk of cirrhosis of the liver varied in women and men based on weight and alcohol use.

In the first study, more than a million women were followed for over six years. Those who were overweight had an increased risk of liver disease compared to women of healthy weight.

That risk increased depending on the amount of alcohol consumed. Obese women who had two to three drinks a day doubled their risk of liver disease compared to women of average weight who had a half drink a day.

The results among men were similar but even more striking. Obese men who drank at the same rate were 19 times more likely to develop cirrhosis of the liver than men of normal weight who are non-drinkers.

Doctors said these findings further underscore the need to establish safe limits of alcohol consumption for people who are overweight.