Beer Belly: How Big is Yours?

Beer belly is a term coined for protruding belly which was believed to result from excessive beer-drinking. This phenomenon is more commonly observed in middle aged men. What is the story behind the culmination of beer belly?

What Leads to Beer Belly?

Beer is an alcoholic drink fermented from grains. A can of beer (355 ml) contains 150 calories on average. Although the calorie content seems trivial, downing several cans can total to a significant amount of energy input. Besides that, beer was found to increase appetite. As beer is often downed with high calorie finger foods, this can lead to calorie overload. When calorie intake is higher than calorie burnt through physical activity, this results in accumulation of body fats.

Beer can also rewire the liver to prioritise the breakdown of alcohol over stored fats. However, studies showed that only heavy drinking of more than 500ml per day over long term causes significant increase in body fat. In other words, the change in liver metabolism is absent in moderate beer drinkers (below 500 ml per day).

As people age, most become less active, resulting in lower energy requirement. Hence, excess calorie intake in older folks are more likely to result in weight gain. As men have less subcutaneous fat under the skin, more fats are stored in their bellies; meanwhile, women would distribute fats in their bellies, arms, thighs and buttocks.

Is Beer Belly Bad?

The fat deposited at the abdomen area is known as visceral fat. Visceral fat can interfere with hormones, causing an increased risk of heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

The amount of visceral fat is measured by waist circumference. Guidelines recommend keeping the waistline below 35 inches for women, and 40 inches for men.

What’s Next?

For those with beer bellies, consuming a healthy diet and getting more physical activity is a good place to start. Since belly fat is strongly linked with beer consumption, it is also advisable to reduce alcohol intake. If you or your loved one need help in quitting alcohol, book a doctor appointment with GetDoc.

Reference

1. Does beer give you a big belly? (Healthline)
2. The truth about beer and your belly (WebMD)
3. Alcohol and food intake (NCBI)

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Tags

• Beer
• Beer belly
• Visceral fat