Diets higher in carbohydrate, fat or protein (diets 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were formulated isoenergetically with or without ethanol to study their effects on the accumulation of hepatic total lipids in rats fed for a period of 8 weeks. Ethanol ingestion did not affect body weight gain of rats fed diet 1, but diets 2 and 3 resulted in decreased weight gain as compared to the pair-fed controls. These body weight changes between control and ethanol groups were significant 2 weeks after beginning the treatment. Ethanol administration did not change hepatic weights of rats fed diet 1, but increased hepatic weights of rats fed diets 2 and 3. Higher protein alone in the diet increased liver weight. Ethanol intake increased the hepatic total lipid content of rats fed diets 2 and 3, but did not affect those fed diet 1 compared to their pair-fed controls. Hepatic cholesterol content increased in rats fed both the higher protein and higher fat diets. Both weight gain, liver weight, and hepatic total lipids consistently showed that the rats consuming 39% wheat starch as carbohydrate were not adversely affected by ethanol ingestion while those groups fed higher fat or higher protein with ethanol were adversely affected. Possible mechanisms are discussed.