A big belly, often in men is called a beer belly. The common perception is that men who drink a lot of beer will get a big belly.
New research that was presented at the European Society of Cardiology 2009 meeting suggests that it is not the quantity of alcohol that is consumed but the timing of the drinking.
The researchers studied 25,000 middle aged men in Eastern Europe. They found that binge drinkers had higher amounts of belly fat than non-binge drinkers. This was independent of the amount of alcohol consumed. As an example having a six pack of beer every Saturday night, rather than a beer a night for 6 nights, was more likely to lead to an increase in belly fat.
This was true for beer and spirits, but less true for wine. So it can also be a “spirit belly”.
Binge drinking, for the purpose of the study was at least 80g of alcohol in a single sitting at least once per month. This is about a six pack.
Interestingly, the binge drinkers did not weigh more than the non-binge drinkers; they just had more fat in the belly area.
A high level of belly fat is related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. So, if you like to drink, do it in a steady manner, no highs and lows.
