"The overconsumption syndrome in this country is not only about food, but alcohol's portion sizes as well," says Julia Chester, an assistant professor of psychological sciences. "There is a lack of knowledge about standard drink sizes and that leads to consuming too many calories and experiencing alcohol's harmful effects."

Among those are alcohol dependency, as well as long-term and short-term cognitive effects that can lead to impaired judgment, says Chester, who studies the role of genetics in alcohol withdrawal and how stress influences alcohol consumption. Binge drinking - exceeding the number of recommended drinks in a short period of time - can damage the brain and liver.

"People do not know how to assess how much they are drinking, and when they have two drinks on a Friday night, it is really four or five because there are multiple doses in one giant cup," Chester says. "Two 44-ounce servings are very different from two 12-ounce servings."

The standard drink size is 12 ounces for beer, 5 ounces for wine and 1.5 ounces of 80 proof alcohol, Chester says.

Some people are ordering larger drinks or pitchers of alcohol at restaurants because it is promoted as a good deal.

"It may be a good deal for your wallet, but it's costly for your body," she says. "We are drinking our calories, not just with alcohol, but with soft drinks, coffee beverages and sport drinks that have so-called nutrients. Research is showing that people cannot regulate calories well when they are in liquid form. In addition, intoxication and the post-ingestive effects of alcohol disrupt people's ability to regulate calorie intake."

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In this study, they focused on a protein known as steriodogenic factor 1 (SF-1), which is essential for making all steroid hormones. Researchers were interested in discovering what events have to occur in order for SF-1 to bind to DNA.

The first thing they found was that because DNA is so tightly packed in the nucleus, SF-1 can't bind to it until it's unpacked by a group of proteins. Once that happens, SF-1 binds to the genes, beginning the process that makes CYP 17 and ultimately cortisol. But it's not a continuous process, they found.

"Once SF-1 binds, it leaves. A few minutes later other proteins come in and condense the DNA," said Sewer. "After that SF-1 binds again, then leaves, and the proteins cause the DNA to contract again."

This cycle goes on as long as the adrenal gland is receiving the signal.

"Even though you get a sustained production of cortisol, the actual molecular events that happen in the nucleus are dynamic," said Sewer. "It's an extremely complex series of events that starts within minutes of the adrenal gland receiving the signal. Without all these transient binding events, the adrenal gland fails to produce optimal levels of cortisol."

Next the team will investigate how small molecules , ligands , regulate cortisol production by binding to SF-1 and controlling the receptor's ability to bind to DNA.

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