The beer belly is a particular form of (usually male) weight gain. Is there credible evidence that beer is capable of producing this localised fat deposition? If not, what causes it?
• Beer is high in calories and is often consumed with high-calorie foods. Because beer is lower in alcohol than other alcoholic drinks and because there is more of a cultural norm to drink large amounts in one sitting than, say, wine, beer is usually the alcoholic drink from which the most calories are taken, leading to accumulation of fat. So drinking beer (and not vodka, for example) is associated with large bellies. It is not so much beer itself, as how much of it is drunk. More men have beer bellies as fat tends to gather there more in men than women. In women, fat is deposited more evenly around the body.
Eleanor Horton, Canterbury, UK
Advertisement
We pay £25 for every answer published in Â鶹´«Ã½. To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.
Questions should be scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena, and both questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a postal address, daytime telephone number and email address.
Â鶹´«Ã½ retains total editorial control over the published content and reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material that has been submitted by readers in any medium or in any format.
You can also submit answers by post to: The Last Word, Â鶹´«Ã½, 25 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9ES.