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12th Feb 2013

Study: ‘Beer belly’ is a myth

Do you pride yourself on having a keg instead of a six-pack? If so you'd want to start hitting the gym as a new study claims that the 'beer belly' is nothing but a myth.

Oisin Collins

Do you pride yourself on having a keg instead of a six-pack? If so you’d want to start hitting the gym as a new study claims that the ‘beer belly’ is nothing but a myth.

According to a new study, “Beer & calories; a scientific review”, there is no scientific evidence to back up the idea that alcohol consumption leads to weight gain. In fact, one nutritionist claims that swapping beer for other beverages might actually help you to diet.

Now, as the old saying goes ‘if it’s too good to be true, it probably is…’ and in this case we’d definitely take the news with a pinch of salt.

The research was ‘industry-funded’ so we have a feeling if the opposite results were found then we probably wouldn’t be hearing about them. Still, here’s what’s being said about the fabled beer belly: “Unfortunately beer has this image as a high-calorie, high-fat drink,” nutritionist Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan told The Times. “It is very unfair.”

The study does note that if you drink vast amounts of beer (or pretty much anything for that matter) you will gain weight, and Dr O’Sullivan also does not dispute the evidence that drinking too much can lead to an early death.

However, Dr O’Sullivan said that swapping two large glasses of wine a day with two bottles of lager could save 58,240 calories a year (that equates to roughly 106 Big Mac’s a year).

“Beer drinking has become regarded by many as a vice and not a component of a healthy balanced lifestyle. But this is contrary to the latest scientific evidence,” she said.

“Enjoyed in moderation, beer, like wine, can provide many essential vitamins and minerals and moderate consumption may also protect against many conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.”

Topics:

Food & Drink