

When every fermented drink that you consume contains calories and not fat, then why we don’t say ‘wine belly’ or ‘scotch belly’? Why only 'beer belly' is over-hyped?
Have you been dealing with the infamous paunch often termed as ‘beer belly’ for a pretty long time? Have you been maintaining a safe distance from your favorite drink to control fat accumulation around your abdomen? Then this article is surely going to break a lot of myth for you surrounding the famous ‘beer belly’. Trust us when we say that beer belly is nothing more than a bunk created by some teetotalers who have been sporting the bellies and blaming it on their excessive beer consumption. Most of the times, beer, and fat are used together to justify beer bellies, but the fact is beer does not even contain fat.
Every fermented drink that you consume contains calories and not fat, then why we don’t say ‘wine belly’ or ‘scotch belly’? Beer lovers come in all sizes and shapes and not all who consume beer carry a pot belly.
What Causes Beer Belly?
The main cause for your beer belly is not necessarily beer but the calories that you take with it. Calories are any of the alcohol beverage comes directly from the alcohol and nothing else. Liquid Calories can come from anything, wine, bourbon, scotch, vodka, etc. as they all contain alcohol. On an average, a 350ml pint of beer consists of 107 calories and your 40ml vodka, whiskey, tequila or rum, consists of 97 calories. Add the mixers like soda or juice to your drink, and it will become more calorie laden. On the other hand, you do not add any mixer to beer, which means its calories remain static.

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So, there is no marginal difference in a number of calories you intake with every alcoholic drink. Thus, there is no point blaming only beer for your protruding belly, which might have even be caused because of excess alcohol in other forms. However, if you down several pints in one sitting then obviously you will end up with serious calorie overload. But the same can be said for the excess consumption of alcohol in any other form as well.
When you consume alcohol in any form, not only beer, your liver tends to burn alcohol and not fat that you are consuming with it. This leads to fat gain around the midsection, which is often termed as your beer belly. The amount of sugary, processed, fat-laden food that you gulp down with alcohol also contributes to these calories. The oversized portions of food that we indulge on with beer have a particular association with fat accumulation in your midsection. Ironically, a packet of peanuts contains three times more calories than a pint of beer.
Bottom Line
When consumed in moderation and that too with low-calorie healthy foods, beer can be as good for your health as wine. It contains a number of essential vitamins and minerals that prepare your body to provide protection against problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart diseases. So, instead of blaming occasional beer for your bulging belly, think of bringing significant changes to your lifestyle and diet. Moderation and balance combined with regular exercising are the key pillars to avoid gaining fat around your mid-section.