It seems that beer drinkers around the world often have big bellies. But is beer really the reason for the beer belly? Some people who drink beer don’t have them, while there are those who don’t drink beer at all but still have large bellies. So what exactly causes men and some women to develop the a beer belly?
Possible Reasons for Having a Beer Belly
The truth is, it’s not necessarily beer that can cause your belly to protrude over your pants but instead, it’s consuming too many calories. It can be any kind of calories — from alcohol, food, sugary beverages can lead to belly fat.
But alcohol in general is associated with bigger waists. That’s because when you consume alcohol, your liver will burn the alcohol rather than fat.
Aside from this, beer carries a lot of calories too. A bottle of beer typically contains 150 calories. And chances are, one bottle is not enough for one sitting, right?
And let’s not forget calories from the food you eat to you wash down the beer. Your appetite can increase when you drink beer and for the most part, when you drink it, you’re not exactly munching on a salad. Usually, it’s fatty foods like fried chicken wings, nachos or pizza.
Fat Accumulation in the Belly
When the body consumes more calories than what it can burn, the excess gets stored as fat. Where it’s stored depends on factors like your age, hormone, and sex. Women have more subcutaneous fat than men, so any excess fat calories are deposited in their thighs, buttocks, arms and bellies. Men have less subcutaneous fat, so any excess fat is stored straight in their bellies.
As people get older, beer bellies tend to develop. Older people become less active and will therefore require fewer calories. If you consume the same amount of calories when you were younger, you’d end up with a surplus of calories which in turn gets stored as fat.
Moreover, hormone levels decline with age too so they’re more likely to store fat around the mid-section.
Problems with Having a Beer Belly
Aside from affecting one’s self esteem, belly fat is also linked to a host of health issues such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Carrying extra pounds in your hips or thigh is less risky than having them in your abdomen Moreover, subcutaneous fat is not as dangerous as the visceral fat buried deep within the abdominal cavity enveloping your organs. When your waist circumference is bigger than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men, there’s an elevated risk of metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and mortality.
How to Lose Belly Fat
Belly fat cannot magically disappear overnight. While procedures like Vaser Lipo can help, it won’t be permanent unless you take steps to improve your overall lifestyle. To effectively lose belly fat requires physical activity and cutting calories as part of your lifestyle. And because there is a link between alcohol and belly fat, it would also be a good idea to drink less alcohol. The CDC recommends one unit of alcohol a day for women, and two for men.
Beer drinkers may opt for light beers that contain less than 100 calorie and limit the amount they consume per day. Don’t forget to have a healthy meal before drinking as this can help avoid craving for high-calorie fatty foods.
It also helps to make lifestyle choices that will help your body burn more calories every day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or taking short walks during your breaks.